The customized robot rental business is gaining momentum in Beijing, capital of China, where demand has pushed order books well into the period following the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on February 17 this year.

Gao Li, head of a robot leasing company in the city, said his team is fulfilling a wide range of rental orders. The robots are being deployed for tasks including restaurant food delivery, serving as tour guides at scenic spots, and even performing street dance routines at events.

"This is a full-sized humanoid robot capable of writing and performing even very delicate movements. Here is one of our most diligent robots. As you can see, many parts of its body already show signs of wear. It has been sent out on different assignments every day since it arrived, and on its busiest day it completed eight tasks in a single day," Gao said.

As the market demand rises while robot prices drop, Gao said he has expanded his robot team to 23 humanoid robots, 12 robot dogs and thousands of drones. He said the company has moved to a new office area twice as large as the previous one.

"Almost all our staff members are stationed at client sites, working intensively every day. Our order book is already fully scheduled through the Lantern Festival, the 15th day in the first lunar month, well after the Spring Festival," He said.

Gao said January saw a notable rise of customized robot rental demands compared to the previous months, accounting for 60 percent of total orders.

"As the Spring Festival approaches, orders for private events have increased, such as birthday banquets, private gatherings and tea parties. I think robots will increasingly become part of everyday life of ordinary people," he said.

Data showed that in 2025, more than 1,500 robot rental companies were established across China, a year-on-year increase of 48.1 percent compared to the previous year.

As robot supply continues to rise and daily rental prices for individual robots are declining, more and more robots are making their way into ordinary households, according to experts.