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

South China Morning Post - Feb 10, 2026

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...

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