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Article: Before the factory floor, the dance floor: humanoids find a path to market at US$145

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4 / 10

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A Chinese company is trialing a service to rent humanoid robots for entertainment at events like parties and holidays for 999 yuan (US$145) per 90-minute session. The service, offered by the platform Botshare and featuring robots from maker Agibot, provides programmed performances including dancing and skits in several major Chinese cities. This represents an early commercial pathway for humanoid robots, focusing on entertainment, as their anticipated large-scale industrial applications are still developing.

The main topics covered are the commercial rental of humanoid robots for entertainment, the specific service and pricing offered by Botshare and Agibot, and the strategic shift towards near-term entertainment applications over longer-term industrial uses.

Original URL

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342943/factory-floor-dance-floor-humanoids-find-path-market-us145?utm_source=rss_feed

Source Feed

Big Tech - South China Morning Post

Published Date

2026-02-10 00:00

Fetched Date

2026-03-04 14:30

Processed Date

2026-03-04 15:19

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Present

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Before the factory floor, the dance floor: humanoids find a path to market at US$145
Humanoid robots may one day transform factories and warehouses, but for now their most immediate role is keeping the party going
Before humanoid robots realise their longer-term potential as efficient industrial workers, a more immediate role is emerging in China: on-demand entertainment. For 999 yuan (US$145), customers can now rent a humanoid robot to dance, perform and pose to order.
That proposition is being trialled by Botshare – known in Chinese as Qingtianzu, or “Optimus rent” – which last weekend rolled out a “999 yuan robot experience programme for everyone” ahead of Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year.
Shanghai-based robot maker Agibot, the platform’s main backer, staged a pre-recorded “robot gala” on Sunday to promote the service, featuring machines performing skits, dancing, singing and even kung fu routines.
Accessible via a WeChat mini programme, the service offers tailored performances for occasions such as birthday parties, Valentine’s dates and festive gatherings.
Dressed in themed costumes, the robots – including Agibot’s compact X2 humanoid and full-sized A2 model – are programmed to dance, gesture and interact in ways designed to match the mood.
The headline price is 999 yuan for a 90-minute session, with an engineer on site to set up and fine-tune the equipment. The service is currently available in a limited number of cities, including Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Launched in December, Botshare markets itself as a “robot-as-a-service” platform, part of a broader push to find viable commercial pathways for humanoids as real-world applications have yet to match expectations.