Rise of the Rentals

Not only do Unitree’s H1 robots look more human and perform far more complex movements than UBTech’s Alpha 1S models did nine years ago, but advances in China’s high-tech sector, particularly breakthroughs in AI by firms like DeepSeek, have also fueled public imagination about humanoid robots.　

Yu Jian, who has worked in robotics education and rentals for over eight years, said that in the past, most rental clients were large industry players such as TV stations, real estate developers and car dealerships. But with rising public enthusiasm, the clientele has grown far more diverse and now includes museums, schools, small business owners and individual content creators on short video platforms. “Nowadays, if you’re not using robots to attract attention, you’re falling behind,” Yu said.　

Wen Yi, an employee at Unitree, experienced this growing fascination first-hand. In January, he borrowed a G1 robot from his company and brought it home for his wedding, where it acted as a groomsman and delivered the rings. Wen’s original intent was simply to show friends and family the kind of work he does, but he ended up pioneering a new use case: robots in wedding ceremonies. Two months later, the wedding host posted a video on social media, and it quickly went viral. Soon, many couples reached out, asking if they too could rent a robot for their big day.　

For many renters, it is not so much about what the robot can do, but what it represents in innovation, attention and emotional impact. “People see humanoid robots as futuristic, and right now, novelty is their greatest asset,” Lei Yonglin said.　

“The robot doesn’t even need to do a full routine. Just standing there draws a crowd,” he added. For clients, that attention often converts into visibility, engagement and revenue.　

In one instance, Lei brought a robot to Zhangjiajie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hunan Province, where it paraded with a robotic dog, danced with a local singer and helped with virtual ticketing on a sightseeing boat. The event drew massive attention and gave his business a significant boost. “Many of my future clients were in that crowd. They saw it, wanted it, and booked on the spot,” he said.

Much of Lei’s business success hinges on the current scarcity of humanoid robots. Since most models from major Chinese robotics firms are still in the concept or early production stages, availability is extremely limited. Lei said he waited over a month for his first robot and nearly two months for his second. “Right now, if you have a robot, you’ll have customers,” he said, citing surging demand.　

But as production ramps up and more players enter the space, rental prices have started to decline. Yu predicts the boom will likely continue through the end of the year. However, as the market becomes dominated by top players, it will get harder for newcomers to find clients.　

Another key challenge is the lack of repeat customers. “It’s a spectacle-driven business, and most clients are onetime users,” Lei said. “You constantly need to attract new clients.”　

Many customers now ask tougher questions: What else can the robot do? Can it offer more interactive experiences? Can it replace humans?　

“Unfortunately, there’s still not much more the robot can do,” Lei said. While it can follow preset paths, perform basic actions and deliver explanations, it still needs to be operated via remote control to function in complex environments.　

More advanced tasks, like acrobatics, dynamic dancing or voice interactions, typically require secondary development, such as programming customized routines or building bespoke systems. That significantly increases costs.　

“The rental boom won’t last forever,” Lei said. “The real future lies in integration, robots that blend into daily life and deliver real value.” Yet despite becoming more intelligent and versatile, China’s humanoid robots still fall short of what’s needed for widespread deployment in homes, workplaces or public services.

Only six robot teams finished the course, reflecting a 30 percent success rate. Even the winner, the “Tiangong Ultra,” stumbled multiple times. It averaged 7 minutes and 37 seconds per kilometer, roughly the pace of a mid-level amateur human runner. Most other robots either overheated, lost balance or broke down entirely.　

“People tend to focus on the level of technology but rarely pay attention to the maturity of the product, and that’s the real key to successful commercialization,” said Liu Fuqiang, team leader at BXI Robotics, which finished fifth.　

Despite the robots’ underwhelming performance, both developers and organizers saw the event as a success. Guo Yijie, lead engineer of the Tiangong Ultra, called the race a breakthrough: “We’ve reached human-level endurance. That’s historic for humanoid robotics.”　

For many, the event served as a fitting metaphor: the road to real-world application for humanoid robots is not a sprint, but a marathon: long, uneven and full of setbacks.　

Given current technological limits, investors remain divided on the long-term prospects for humanoid robots. On March 29, Zhu Xiaohu, managing partner at GSR Ventures, told domestic media outlet chinaventure.com.cn that commercialization pathways remain unclear, and his firm has been pulling out of multiple projects.　

“I asked several CEOs: Who are your potential customers? And frankly, it felt like they were describing imaginary clients rather than real ones,” Zhu said.　

His comments were quickly rebutted. The same day, Zhang Ying, founder of Matrix Partners China, one of the country’s leading venture capital firms, said that while bubbles are inevitable in any emerging sector, the humanoid robot space would “definitely produce big companies.”　

A report released by Morgan Stanley on February 6, titled “The Humanoid 100: Mapping the Humanoid Robot Value Chain,” identified 100 core companies in the sector, with 32 of them based in the Chinese mainland.　

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is doubling down on support for the industry. In its 2025 Government Work Report, released during the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China announced an “AI+” action plan to promote integration between AI, digital technology and manufacturing. Humanoid robots were listed as part of the new generation of intelligent terminals, alongside AI-powered vehicles and smart devices.　

At least 10 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong, have outlined strategic development plans for robotics. The tech hub of Shenzhen, for example, announced in February it would launch a 10 billion yuan (US$1.4b) industry fund to support the AI and robotics sectors, with a focus on software, hardware and embodied intelligence.　

After launching a humanoid robot innovation center and setting up a 10 billion yuan (US$1.4b) fund for robotics development in 2023, Beijing municipal government made headlines again on June 11, announcing the opening of the world’s first “4S store” dedicated to embodied AI robots.　

Modeled after the auto industry’s 4S model which covers sales, service, spare parts and surveys, the store will offer a full suite of services including robot sales, maintenance, parts replacement and technical consultations.　

According to a report by market research firm TrendForce released on April 21, six domestic humanoid robot companies, including Unitree, AgiBot, Galbot, Engine AI and Leju Robotics, plan to produce over 1,000 units this year.　

Speaking to NewsChina, Liang Liang, deputy director of the Management Committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which helped organize both the humanoid robot marathon and the 4S store, emphasized the importance of public-facing demonstrations.　

“Visibility helps the public imagine where this technology might be useful and identify real-world needs,” Liang said. “We hope to drive the industry by focusing on practical applications and letting demand lead development. Finishing the race isn’t the end. The marathon of humanoid robot commercialization has only just begun.”