Multipurpose home robots may take more than a decade to achieve widespread adoption

October 27, 2026 3 min read

Consumer service robot sales rose 37% in 2025 to nearly 34.2 million units, but the market remains dominated by specialized devices rather than multipurpose machines.

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The arrival of domestic robots capable of performing multiple tasks could still take more than a decade to become widespread, despite the growth of the consumer robotics market.

Eighty-five percent of robotics engineers who participated in an internal SoftServe survey believe advanced robots will need at least five more years to become a common presence in everyday life. The development of machines capable of performing multiple household tasks remains constrained by technical challenges that go beyond automating specific activities.

The survey, conducted among 61 specialists from SoftServe’s Robotics and Automation Group, found that 44% estimate these devices will become common in homes within five to 10 years, while 41% expect the process to take more than a decade.

The market is growing, but technical limitations persist.

Global sales of consumer service robots increased by 37% in 2025, reaching nearly 34.2 million units, according to the latest World Robotics report from the International Federation of Robotics.

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However, the commercial growth of specialized devices does not mean that machines capable of performing a wide range of household activities are close to becoming available. Engineers identify versatility as one of the main obstacles to this development.

Developments that could take longer than public debate suggests include multipurpose humanoid robots capable of performing almost any task; systems that learn new physical activities from verbal instructions; and artificial intelligence and robotics solutions that completely replace certain skilled trades, such as electricians or machinery operators.

This means the evolution of domestic robotics will depend not only on expanding machines’ capabilities but also on ensuring they operate reliably, safely and affordably in real-world environments, where they must handle diverse objects, interpret unfamiliar situations and work alongside people.

”We often measure progress in robotics by asking when we will have a machine capable of doing everything. In reality, adoption tends to advance task by task. A robot has to do something reliably, safely and affordably in a real, messy environment, not just look impressive in a demonstration,” says Lyubomyr Demkiv, head of SoftServe’s Robotics and Automation Group.

Despite these limitations, the specialists surveyed have a positive outlook on the technology’s potential impact. Fifty-one percent expect robots to improve their own lives to some extent over the next five years, while 20% anticipate a more substantial improvement.

Gardening emerges as one of the next applications.

When asked which device could become the next robot vacuum cleaner, automated garden maintenance received the largest share of responses, at 27%.

This category includes machines capable of distinguishing plants from weeds, pruning shrubs, watering crops according to their needs and harvesting ripe fruit. These activities require handling living, soft and unpredictable elements, posing a technical challenge for robotic systems.

Solutions that automate some of these tasks already exist. Husqvarna sells robotic lawn mowers with AI-assisted object detection; Mammotion offers mowing equipment that can be complemented with a sweeper to collect and empty leaves and debris; and Yarbo provides a modular system for mowing lawns, blowing leaves and clearing snow.

Nevertheless, these products focus on specific outdoor tasks and do not yet comprehensively replace gardening work. In the survey, 20% of specialists also identified companion robots for elderly care as a category that could become common in homes, while 11% selected ironing robots.

Which tasks people want to automate.

The engineers’ personal preferences reflect demand focused on addressing specific household chores. Thirty-one percent said they would like to have a deep-cleaning robot, while 23% opted for a general-purpose assistant to help with cooking, tidying and running errands.

Another 18% chose a device capable of handling the entire laundry process.

These preferences align with the current market composition, in which household tasks account for the vast majority of consumer service robots. By contrast, systems designed for more complex, people-centered care tasks remain a relatively small segment.

The International Federation of Robotics also notes that developing practical humanoid robots requires advances in manipulation, intuitive programming, economically viable large-scale production and safety.

The SoftServe survey captures the individual views of 61 members of its Robotics and Automation Group, with an almost even distribution across junior, mid-level, senior, leadership and higher-level roles. Its findings represent an expert assessment, but neither a representative study nor a statement of the company’s official position.

Overall, the responses point to a gradual evolution in domestic robotics, with specialized devices expanding their functions before multipurpose machines can operate routinely across different home environments.