Along the inspection walkways of a large substation in Shanghai, “Jueying”—a quadruped robot developed by Deep Robotics—advances steadily. Equipped with high-definition cameras and sensors, it captures real-time operational data from equipment, effectively replacing human personnel in conducting inspections within high-risk environments characterized by extreme temperatures or significant heights. The presence of this robot serves as a microcosm of the accelerating global rise of the quadruped robot industry—a cutting-edge technology once confined to research laboratories that is now rapidly making its way into industrial settings and ordinary households, emerging as a new growth engine for the technology sector.
According to global market data on quadruped robots released by GACO Auto, the market is projected to reach a size of $160.05 million by 2026—a year-on-year increase of 27.78% compared to 2025—marking a growth rate that far exceeds the global average for the technology industry. China has emerged as the central battleground in this competitive arena; leveraging its vast array of application scenarios and a robust, well-integrated industrial supply chain, the country currently commands the largest market share globally. From industrial inspections in power plants and factories to specialized applications in emergency rescue and firefighting reconnaissance, quadruped robots are gradually taking over tasks previously performed by humans, thereby resolving critical operational pain points associated with high risk and low efficiency. Concurrently, quadruped robots designed for home companionship are also beginning to gain prominence, becoming a new focal point of interest within the consumer market.
Despite this rapid market growth momentum, the industry remains in its nascent stages of development; factors such as technological maturity, cost control, and the efficiency of real-world application deployment remain key constraints hindering widespread adoption. Nevertheless, industry experts generally anticipate that—driven by the continuous optimization of the supply chain and breakthroughs in core technologies—the quadruped robot sector is poised to experience a massive commercial boom around 2028, marking a comprehensive transition from the “laboratory” to the “industrial front.”
Chinese enterprises are emerging as key drivers in the global quadruped robot sector, with Unitree Robotics and DeepRobotics standing out as prime examples. Inside Unitree Robotics’ production facility in Hangzhou, engineers are currently fine-tuning the latest generation of the Unitree series—a line of quadruped robots that has become the company’s primary revenue source. In 2024, Unitree Robotics’ revenue structure clearly demonstrated its “dual-track” strategic layout: the quadruped robot business contributed 65% of total revenue, serving as the core pillar of the company’s growth. In 2025, the company secured orders totaling nearly $172 million—including over $15 million from the power inspection sector alone—fully underscoring the commercialization potential of industrial-grade quadruped robots.
In contrast to Unitree Robotics’ focus on industrial applications, DeepRobotics is seizing market share through a “dual-engine” strategy driven by both technological innovation and globalization. In 2024, the company’s revenue surged by over 100% compared to 2023, demonstrating rapid growth momentum. In 2025, its robot shipments are projected to exceed 10,000 units; its products have successfully penetrated numerous overseas markets—including the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Europe, and North America—marking a significant initial breakthrough in its global expansion strategy. Currently, the DeepRobotics team comprises nearly 400 employees, with core personnel concentrated in R&D, manufacturing, and sales—providing a robust foundation for technological iteration and market expansion. In July 2025, DeepRobotics completed a financing round raising nearly $70 million, funds which will be primarily allocated to core technology R&D and production capacity expansion. As a pioneer in the field of embodied AI, DeepRobotics was the first company in China to successfully deploy fully autonomous quadruped robots for substation inspections. Its “Jueying” series has been widely adopted across diverse scenarios—including inspections of power plants, factories, and utility tunnels, as well as emergency rescue operations, firefighting reconnaissance, and scientific research—establishing itself as a technological benchmark within the industry.
Collaborative synergy across the industrial value chain is accelerating the real-world application of these technologies. Black Sesame Technologies and DeepRobotics recently announced a strategic partnership; the two companies will join forces to develop an embodied AI control platform, create industry-specific intelligent solutions, and jointly expand into international markets. This collaboration holds the promise of achieving a “dual breakthrough” in both technology and application scenarios, thereby further solidifying the leading position of Chinese enterprises in the global robotics arena.
The rise of the consumer market represents yet another major highlight within the quadruped robot sector. At the Shenzhen Weilan Technology experience store, parents are bringing their children to try out the BabyAlpha robot dog—the world’s first consumer-grade quadruped robot. In just over a year since its launch, cumulative sales have reached 13,000 units, spanning 295 cities across China and establishing it as a “viral sensation” in the field of family companionship. Its industry peer, Weilan Intelligence, has introduced the AlphaDog robot dog; centered on family companionship and intelligent services, this product addresses a comprehensive range of needs—from children’s education to elderly care—thereby precisely filling a void in the domestic service market.
Vita Robotics, meanwhile, remains highly confident in the future of the consumer market. The company projects that by 2026, shipments of its flagship product, the VBot “Super” Robot Dog, will reach between 30,000 and 50,000 units. Furthermore, it forecasts that the global consumer-grade quadruped robot market will reach a total volume of approximately 70,000 to 80,000 units in 2026; leveraging its product’s competitive advantages, Vita Robotics is poised to capture roughly 60% of this market share. Fueling this ambition is the product’s robust market performance: shortly after Vita Robotics launched its debut product—the VBot Super Robot Dog—in early 2026, total orders quickly surpassed 6,500 units, generating nearly $15 million in revenue and validating the immense potential of the consumer market.
While the field of quadruped robots is undergoing rapid development, the humanoid robot sector is also accelerating its pace of exploration; Unitree Robotics stands out as one of the early pioneers in this space. In 2025, the company’s shipments of humanoid robots are projected to exceed 100 units, placing it in the early stages of commercialization within the industry. According to its strategic roadmap, Unitree Robotics aims to achieve a shipment target in the thousands by 2026, thereby driving the transition of humanoid robots from the laboratory into real-world production environments and opening up an entirely new frontier within the robotics industry.
On the international stage, established technology and manufacturing giants are also rapidly expanding their strategic footprints. In 2021, Hyundai Motor completed its acquisition of Boston Dynamics; the latter’s quadruped robot, Spot, has since been officially deployed in commercial applications, marking a significant deepening of Hyundai Motor’s strategic positioning within the robotics sector. Today, bolstered by the dual support of its parent company—Hyundai Motor Group—and the logistics titan DHL Group, Boston Dynamics is accelerating its commercialization efforts. Hyundai Motor Group plans to procure “tens of thousands” of Atlas, Spot, and Stretch robots over the coming years for use within its own production and logistics networks, while DHL Group intends to deploy over 1,000 robots across various divisions to enhance the efficiency of its logistics operations.
Since its market launch in 2020, the Spot robot has achieved cumulative global sales exceeding 2,000 units. It is now widely utilized across diverse scenarios—including industrial inspection, public safety, construction surveying, and emergency response—serving a client base that spans hundreds of global enterprises and institutions, such as Ford Motor, Samsung Electronics, and the U.S. Air Force. However, the path to commercialization has not been entirely smooth; in 2023, Boston Dynamics generated revenue of only $18 million while incurring R&D expenditures totaling $200 million—a disparity that starkly highlights the robotics industry’s inherent characteristics of “high investment and long development cycles.” Nevertheless, the company has set ambitious targets, aiming to achieve an annual production capacity of 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028, thereby driving the large-scale adoption of humanoid robots.
European enterprises are also seeking breakthroughs within specific niche segments. In 2024, the Swiss firm ANYbotics announced plans to scale up its production capacity to 1,000 units per year. Concurrently, the company secured pre-orders from numerous industrial clients—totaling over $150 million in value—demonstrating the robust market demand for industrial-grade quadruped robots. The company’s core offering is the ANYmal series; notably, the ANYmal X is the world’s first quadruped robot to receive explosion-proof certification (ATEX/IECEx Zone 1). Specifically designed for high-risk industrial environments—such as those found in the oil, gas, and chemical sectors—over 200 units have already been deployed globally, serving major clients including Petrobras and BASF.
Meanwhile, German enterprises are making significant strides in the field of humanoid robots. In early 2025, Neura Robotics—a German developer of humanoid robots—claimed the title of the sector’s “Financing Champion” for the first month of the year, securing a Series B funding round of €120 million. This achievement underscores the capital market’s strong confidence in this particular sector. Concurrently, Schaeffler announced a partnership with Neura Robotics to jointly develop humanoid robots and critical actuator components. Schaeffler plans to integrate Neura’s humanoid robots into its global production network, thereby fostering a synergistic model that combines R&D with practical application. In 2024, Neura Robotics experienced explosive growth: its workforce doubled to over 300 employees, revenue increased tenfold, and the company secured orders totaling €1 billion, establishing itself as a dark horse in the European robotics landscape.
From industrial clusters in China to strategic deployments by global giants, the quadruped robot sector is currently the stage for a fierce contest between technology and capital. Although the industry still faces challenges—such as high R&D costs and uneven commercialization—the continuous maturation of technology and the expanding scope of application scenarios are enabling this once-futuristic “black technology” to gradually integrate into every facet of industry and daily life. The expectation of large-scale commercialization by 2028 is attracting an increasing number of enterprises and investors to enter the fray; indeed, a transformative revolution in the robotics industry has already quietly begun.