In China, renting a Unitree G1 costs about 3,000 yuan a day, down from 6,000 to 8,000 last year

Unitree's (宇树) G1, with a human operator included, rented for between 6,000 and 8,000 yuan a day in the second half of last year. It now rents for about 3,000 yuan, according to 具身商业前哨.

A rental company interviewed by the outlet says there are more and more robots on the market, and some small firms are cutting prices to win contracts and keep their machines working.

Customers, for their part, are asking for more. One wanted to know whether a robot could recognise the fabric of a garment, fold it and then put it away in the wardrobe.

Manufacturers are betting on distribution all the same. On 9 October, Ubtech (优必选) signed a strategic agreement with the group 建发股份 covering the sales network, the supply chain, leasing, maintenance and overseas markets.

Footfall does not guarantee profit. In May, a journalist visited a robot shop in Guiyang that drew up to 500 to 600 visitors a day. Even so, its monthly revenue left about 40% of its costs uncovered.