Real-World Robots Census
A structured census of notable real-world robots: how the field breaks down by category, country, and autonomy level, from SDEN's curated robot directory.
Data as of July 2026
Our census catalogues 23 notable robots from 21 makers across 6 countries, spanning 6 categories. The most represented category is Humanoid.
23
Robots catalogued
6
Categories
21
Makers
6
Countries
By category
| Category | Robots |
|---|---|
| Humanoid | 12 |
| Quadruped | 3 |
| Consumer | 3 |
| Surgical | 2 |
| Warehouse & logistics | 2 |
| Autonomous vehicle | 1 |
By country
| Country | Robots |
|---|---|
| UNITED STATES | 11 |
| CHINA | 7 |
| SWITZERLAND | 2 |
| GERMANY | 1 |
| SWEDEN | 1 |
| SOUTH KOREA | 1 |
By autonomy level
| Autonomy | Robots |
|---|---|
| Semi-autonomous (task learning, fleet skill sharing) | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (autonomous navigation with remote override for safety) | 1 |
| Autonomous inspection missions | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (teleoperation and autonomous task execution) | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (task demos, often scripted or supervised) | 1 |
| Teleoperated (surgeon-controlled, not autonomous) | 1 |
| Autonomous for defined logistics tasks | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (surgeon-controlled with AI-assisted stability and micro-movement compensation) | 1 |
| Developing autonomy; pilots in industrial settings | 1 |
| Teleoperated to semi-autonomous | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (social interaction, task assistance) | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (teleoperation and autonomous inspection tasks) | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (teleoperation and autonomous modes) | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (local AI processing, no cloud dependency) | 1 |
| In development; demos range from teleoperated to autonomous | 1 |
| Fully autonomous in mapped facilities | 1 |
| Autonomous within the home | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (voice and gesture control, autonomous navigation) | 1 |
| Autonomous on pre-taught routes; teleoperable | 1 |
| Autonomous within its task envelope | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (AI-assisted balance and torque control) | 1 |
| Fully autonomous within geofenced operating areas | 1 |
| Semi-autonomous (teleoperation to semi-autonomous tasking) | 1 |
Methodology
Counts are drawn from SDEN's curated robot directory, maintained for factual accuracy. The set covers notable real-world robots with public documentation; it is representative, not exhaustive.
Want to quote this report? It is free to cite with a link to this page. Browse the robot directory.
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