Robot orders in North America in the third quarter of 2026 rose 24.8 percent in units and 26.1 percent in value year-over-year, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in Q3, the highest number so far this year. Total orders for 2026 stand at 28,984 robots valued at approximately $1.89 billion, an increase of of 9.6 percent in units and 13.3 percent in value over the same period last year.

The plastics and rubber sector recorded an increase of 67.7 percent in unit orders year-over-year. The sector had showed an increase of 1.8 percent in units ordered in the second quarter after a robust 25.2 percent increase in Q1 2026.

After declining during the first half of 2026, automotive OEM robot unit orders increased 7.5 percent in Q3. Automotive component orders climbed 90.4 percent, while semi and electronics/photonics jumped 97.6 percent and life sciences/pharma/biomed rose 38.7 in units ordered.

“What stands out in the third quarter is not simply the magnitude of the growth, but how broadly it was distributed across the market,” said Alex Shikany, EVP of A3. “Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, while automotive components and sectors such as semiconductors/electronics and life sciences posted significant gains. That broader mix is important because it points to a robotics market that is becoming increasingly diversified across industries and applications.”

Companies ordered 1,831 collaborative robots (cobots) valued at $63.8 million, an increase of approximately 56 percent in units compared to Q3 2025. Cobots accounted for 16.7 percent of all robot units ordered during the quarter.