Rental Use Cases

Events and exhibitions

At trade shows, launches, conferences and public events, a humanoid draws attention and starts conversations. The work is short, highly visible and usually scripted: greeting visitors, demonstrating a product or appearing on stage. Plan the interaction carefully. Decide what the robot will say and do, how visitors approach it, and who stands alongside it to manage the crowd and step in if needed. Check venue rules, power and floor space, and agree in advance how the robot will be transported, set up and packed away. A rehearsal the day before is well worth arranging.

Pilots and proofs of concept

A rental pilot tests whether a humanoid can do a specific job on your site before you invest. Choose one task, one area and a clear measure of success, such as items handled, time per task or interventions needed. Keep the pilot running long enough to see normal variation across different shifts, staff and conditions. Involve the people who do the work today, and record what goes well and what does not. At the end you should be able to make a confident decision: buy, extend the trial, try a different robot, or stop.

Seasonal peaks and short projects

Some demand comes in waves: holiday volumes, harvests, stocktakes, or a project with a fixed end. Renting can add capacity for the peak without carrying the robot through quieter months. This works best for tasks that are already well understood and quick to set up, since a long integration eats into a short rental. Plan the start date with enough lead time for delivery, setup and staff training, and agree what happens if the peak runs longer than expected. Treat each season as evidence: what you learn can shape whether ownership makes sense next year.

Sources and further reading

• Humanoid Robots: Vision and Reality (IFR position paper) — International Federation of Robotics.
  IFR's assessment of humanoid robots, helpful for setting realistic goals before a rental pilot.
• ISO/CD 25785-1 Robotics — Safety requirements for dynamically stable industrial mobile robots — Part 1: Robots — International Organization for Standardization.
  Draft safety standard for balancing industrial robots, humanoids included, still at committee draft stage when checked.
• World Robotics 2025 – Service Robots (press release) — International Federation of Robotics.
  IFR service robot figures, including growth in robot-as-a-service and a shift towards rental agreements.

Common questions

How long should a humanoid pilot rental last?

Long enough to see normal variation across shifts, staff and conditions. Agree the success measures first, then set the length around them.

Can a humanoid handle a busy public event?

Plan for it carefully. Script the interaction, keep a trained person alongside the robot at all times, and check the venue's rules, power and floor space in advance.