Robot rentals are transitioning from a niche novelty to a mainstream service

Humanoid robots play football in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Robot rentals in China are shifting from a niche, individual pastime to a mainstream trend. Prices have fallen dramatically—from 10,000 yuan (about $1,455) a day to just over 100 yuan, and the market is expanding to lower-tier cities.

Many robot rental providers reported that they had been receiving inquiries and bookings since the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month in 2025, and their robots were fully booked from the first to the fifth day of the first lunar month in 2026. Clients typically reserved two or four robots at a time to ensure better service.

According to data from the robot rental platform Botshare, as of Feb. 12, the platform had already received over 1,000 orders for the Spring Festival holiday (Feb. 15-23), with the total expected to exceed 5,000 by the end of the holiday.

Data from China's leading e-commerce platform JD.com indicates that the main consumer markets for robot rentals include Beijing, Shenzhen, and Changsha, and are expanding to lower-tier cities.

According to Li Quanyin, CEO of Beijing Yunji Technology Co., Ltd., during the Spring Festival holiday, the company's robots handled 2.2 times more tasks than they did over the same period last year. Its intelligent AI voice system, Voice AI, saw a single-day call volume surge of 515 percent year on year. Demand was especially strong in economically vibrant regions where both business and local tourism were robust, such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in east China.

Li Yiyan, CEO of Botshare, said that during the Spring Festival, more than 54 percent of robot rental orders were for activities such as delivering Chinese New Year greetings and performing at temple fairs and shopping malls, with demand for marriage proposals and parent-child activities rising rapidly.

Li Yiyan said China's robot rental market was expected to reach around 1 billion yuan in 2025 and at least 10 billion yuan in 2026, with the surge driven largely by a sharp drop in prices.

During the Spring Festival in 2024 and 2025, humanoid robots from companies such as Unitree Robotics and AgiBot were rented for more than 10,000 yuan per day in cities including Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang. This year, however, rental costs for mainstream robots have been adjusted to be more affordable.

A robot rental provider based in southwest China's Guizhou Province said that a humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics or AgiBot rents for 4,000 yuan per day, while a robotic dog costs 680 yuan per day. The price includes on-site operators and safety personnel at no additional charge.

Wang Lei, chairman of Shanghai Qingbao Robot Co., Ltd., said the rise of robot rentals is driven by growing public interest in humanoid robots, relatively affordable rental prices, and strong acceptance among target customers. He added that the company will step up efforts in areas such as humanoid robot livestreaming, reception and interpretation, unmanned retail, and other related businesses.

The surge in robot rentals has also drawn strong interest from investors, with a number of publicly listed companies moving swiftly to enter the market.

Humanoid robots from Ningbo PIA Automation Holding Corp. in Ningbo appeared at the Xiaoshan service area along the G60 expressway during this year's Spring Festival. The company's robots have taken part in a variety of activities, including performances at the Ningbo Science Exploration Center. Meanwhile, the robot rental and performance business at the Ningbo Embodied Intelligence Industry Base, led by Ningbo Huaxiang Electronic Co., Ltd., has generated more than 230,000 yuan in revenue.