The commercialization of the robot industry has given rise to new forms of business in South China's tech hub of Shenzhen, where stores are allowing customers to rent robot models and fully customize the bots they buy.
At the AI Services Street in Shenzhen's Longgang District, the first of its kind in China, crowds have been forming daily since the street opened in early September. Visitors come to view exhibitions and try robot services, and many of them leave with orders.
Robot rental is among the hottest businesses. At the Shenzhen Robot 6S Store, dozens of robots are available for rent, from robot dogs and guide bots to humanoid machines that can dance and greet guests.
The cheapest option is a robot dog, which renters can take home for just 1,000 yuan (about 150 U.S. dollars).
"In our rental business, we have more than 100 types of humanoid and special-purpose robots. Special-purpose robots mainly cover cleaning categories such as smart cleaning, as well as smart healthcare and smart elderly care. We offer customized solutions across different categories," said the manager of the Shenzhen Robot 6S Store.
A buyer from the manufacturing sector, surnamed Liu, said many robots in the store match his production line needs. He has identified several promising models and plans to study which could be used at his company.
"Transport robots, cleaning robots -- and since our company uses photovoltaic panels, I also noticed photovoltaic panel cleaning robots here. I think these three types would fit our company well," he said.
At a robot components supermarket along the AI Services Street, core parts including reducers, servo motors, controllers and sensors are displayed on shelves like everyday goods. For companies, components that once took months to source can now all be found on the street.
The supermarket has a dedicated showroom for robot components. Zhou Ying, a staff member at the showroom, said the exhibits are highly diverse, visitor traffic is high, and the showroom receives guests frequently.
"The showroom now houses components from more than 60 suppliers, including chips, sensors, casings and structural parts. Since last year, we have hosted nearly 500 events," she said.
Consumers can also customize robots on the street. Some customers bring a design drawing and receive hardware parts made to order.
"A customer gives us a blueprint of a robot, and we manufacture the hardware components accordingly. This year, our order volume has grown about fivefold compared with 2025. Customizing a robot used to take at least six to eight months from research and development to prototype; now some micro-customized products can be ready in three to four months," said Mao Fangping, senior business development manager at a Guangdong-based smart manufacturing company.
Shenzhen's robot market sees rise of rental, customization services
Shenzhen's robot market sees rise of rental, customization services
