Morgan Stanley Survey: Chinese Enterprises Require Humanoid Robots Priced Under 100,000 Yuan With A Three-Year Payback Period

Morgan Stanley’s latest survey indicates that Chinese enterprises’ willingness to procure humanoid robots remains on the rise, though the pace of commercial deployment has slowed, with cost and return on investment (ROI) emerging as key barriers. Among surveyed firms, 64% plan to launch humanoid robot pilot or large-scale projects over the next three years, but deployment timelines for all robot types have been pushed back by roughly a year overall. The survey found 72% of potential buyers deem a robot’s unit price must be below 100,000 RMB to be viable for widespread adoption, up from 53% in 2025; 82% require a payback period of no more than three years, with an average acceptable payback cycle of around 26 months. In applications, manufacturing and logistics warehousing remain the primary use cases, with prominent demand for material handling, packaging, and palletizing. However, satisfaction with existing products has dipped, with only 18% of potential buyers expressing satisfaction with current humanoid robot performance. On the brand front, Unitree Robotics remains the most widely followed integrator, but the share of respondents planning to purchase its products over the next three years has fallen from 60% in 2025 to 32%. Morgan Stanley notes that vendors that can prove improved production efficiency, meet reliability standards, and deliver clear ROI are better positioned to drive the commercialization of humanoid robots.