RobotMe summary
North American companies ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Association for Advancing Automation. That was 24.8% more units and 26.1% more value than a year earlier. Orders for automotive components, semiconductors and electronics, plastics, life sciences, and metals all rose, while food and consumer-goods orders fell.
Automotive-component orders increased 90.4% from the third quarter of 2025, and semiconductor, electronics, and photonics orders rose 97.6%. Automakers returned to quarterly growth at 7.5%, although their orders for the first nine months remained 17% below the year-earlier period. Collaborative-robot orders rose about 56% to 1,831 units worth $63.8 million, representing 16.7% of all units ordered in the quarter.
A3's figures measure orders reported by robotics suppliers, not completed installations, factory output, or independently audited productivity gains. The trade group also notes that project timing can affect quarterly totals. The broader mix of industries is the notable signal, but one strong quarter does not by itself establish a lasting change in manufacturing investment.