Altman Solon finds buyers wary

Altman Solon said in an August 2026 report that industrial buyers are not rejecting humanoid robots for factory work, but many are holding back on pilots until vendors show more operating proof. The consulting firm said it interviewed senior facilities and supply-chain leaders at multinational corporations that already run automation programs and control robotics budgets. Those buyers expect general-purpose and autonomous robots to take a larger share of productive floor hours over the next five years, Altman Solon said. But the firm said that expectation has not yet translated into broad pilot approvals because buyers are still testing whether the systems can perform outside staged demonstrations. ### If buyers already believe in the category, why are they still waiting? Altman Solon said every leader it interviewed is engaged in general-purpose robotics today, with most already running pilots or live deployments and the rest budgeting for pilots or evaluating vendors. The report said none of the interviewed leaders described robotics as off the agenda. The same report said those leaders estimate manual human work accounts for about 61% of productive floor hours today and could fall to roughly 35% within five years. (altmansolon.com) Over that period, Altman Solon said, general-purpose robots under human oversight and highly autonomous robots are expected to rise from a combined 18% of hours to 44%, while traditional fixed automation remains broadly stable. ### What do buyers say they need before approving a pilot? Altman Solon said four requirements determine whether a pilot happens at all: proof, payback, fit and support. In the body of the report, those requirements map to documented reliability, credible economics, workable integration with existing operations and a maintenance model buyers believe they can sustain. (altmansolon.com) Reliability was the issue buyers raised most, according to Altman Solon. The firm said interviewees want documented uptime, safety and throughput from a comparable live operation rather than a controlled demo. On economics, buyers said they compare total cost of ownership with current labor costs and want a near-term route to payback before committing capital, the report said. (altmansolon.com) ### What does “integration” mean on a factory floor? Altman Solon said buyers are not assessing humanoids as standalone machines. The report said they want to know how a robot will fit into existing workflows, systems and site constraints alongside workers and incumbent automation. BMW was cited by Altman Solon as one example of a manufacturer putting AI-powered humanoid robots on a European factory floor alongside workers this spring. (altmansolon.com) Altman Solon used that example to frame a broader question: whether general-purpose machines that can move through spaces built for people can be inserted into real industrial environments at useful cost and with acceptable disruption. ### Why does maintenance show up as a buying hurdle? Altman Solon said industrial operators are asking who will keep the systems running after installation, not just whether the robot can complete a task once. The report said buyers want a support model that covers servicing, parts, downtime and the practical burden placed on plant teams. That caution fits the buyer profile Altman Solon described. (altmansolon.com) The firm said these are not first-time automation buyers; they already approve robotics programs and allocate large automation budgets across plants and distribution centers. Their standard for humanoid pilots, the report said, is therefore being set against equipment and automation systems they already trust. ### What comes next for vendors trying to win trials? Altman Solon said the next step for vendors is to bring measured operating data, a site-specific integration plan, a credible payback case and a support model that buyers can audit. The report was published on Altman Solon’s insights page in August 2026 and follows the firm’s November 2025 home robotics survey, which it said found consumer interest running ahead of adoption for different reasons, including cost and comfort. (altmansolon.com)