Renting a humanoid robot for your event takes one booking form, one payment, and a delivery driver who handles everything else. No technical expertise required. No five-figure purchase. The Unitree G1 arrives at your venue, an operator sets it up, and your guests interact with something they have never seen before. This guide covers pricing, what you get, how the booking works, and what to expect on the day itself.
Table of Contents
The Unitree G1: What You Are Actually Renting
The Unitree G1 is a full-size humanoid robot: 127 cm tall, 35 kg, 41 degrees of freedom across the whole body. Its five-finger dexterous hands grip objects, wave, gesture, and shake hands with your guests. Its 3D LiDAR and camera array let it navigate real environments without colliding into furniture, booths, or people.
The G1 runs on a Unitree-developed AI locomotion stack trained on tens of thousands of hours of movement data. That is what gives it the fluid, non-mechanical gait that surprises audiences who expect something closer to a factory arm on wheels.
Battery runtime is approximately 2 hours per charge under typical event conditions. We bring two batteries to every booking of 4 hours or longer, and the swap takes under 10 minutes. The charging station is compact enough to fit behind a booth panel or in a service corridor.
You are not renting a toy or a prop. The G1 costs $63,900 to purchase at market value. Renting it from ZMP robots gives you access to that hardware without the purchase, the storage, the software updates, or the transport logistics.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Humanoid Robot?
ZMP robots prices by rental window. The longer you book, the lower your daily rate:
- 3 days: $299 per day ($897 total before deposit)
- 4 to 7 days: $259 per day (a 4-day booking is $1,036)
- 8 to 30 days: $199 per day (our lowest rate, for extended activations)
Every booking also carries a $1,000 Refundable Deposit, returned after the robot is collected and inspected. Delivery and collection are free within the 48 contiguous US states.
Optional add-ons at booking:
- Certified Operator Setup: $100 one-time. Includes on-site programming of a custom demo loop, scripted interaction sequence, or branded greeting. Skip it if your venue already has a technical contact who will work with our operator.
- ZMP Protection+: 15% of your daily rate per day. Extends the base coverage window and removes the excess on accidental contact damage.
ZMP Protection (base) is free and included in every booking. See exact pricing totals and availability on the booking page. For a deeper look at what drives cost, see our guide to humanoid robot rental cost.
Step-by-Step: How to Book a Humanoid Robot Rental
The entire booking happens online. No phone call required. No account to create in advance.
- Select your dates. Choose your start and end dates on the booking calendar. The minimum is 3 days; the maximum is 30. Delivery happens on day 1 before your event starts.
- Choose your add-ons. Certified Operator Setup and ZMP Protection+ are optional. Both are clearly priced before you reach checkout.
- Review your Reservation summary. You will see your Reservation number, daily rate, total, and Refundable Deposit before payment.
- Pay via Stripe. Stripe handles the transaction. ZMP robots never stores card details. Your Refundable Deposit is held separately and released after collection.
- Receive your Handover Record. This document confirms the robot condition at delivery and forms the basis of the deposit return process.
Booking lead time: we recommend 7 to 14 days ahead for standard events. For large conferences or multi-robot activations, 30 days is safer. Same-week bookings are possible depending on availability — contact us directly for those.
What Is Included in Every Rental
Every ZMP robots booking ships with the same core package regardless of your rental window:
- Unitree G1 humanoid robot with five-finger dexterous hands and full 41 DOF configuration
- Operator — a trained ZMP robots operator travels with every unit and remains on-site for the duration of your booking
- Battery set — two fully charged batteries for bookings over 4 hours; charger included
- Transport case — the robot ships in a flight-case rated enclosure; no rigging required by the venue
- ZMP Protection (base) — covers normal wear and approved-use scenarios at no added cost
- Delivery and collection — door-to-door freight across the 48 contiguous US states, no charge
The operator handles the power-on sequence, locomotion checks, and any demo loop you have agreed in advance. At events where we have deployed at venues like Pfizer product launches and auto shows in Detroit, the setup process from arrival to robot-on takes under 40 minutes on a clean floor.
ZMP Protection and ZMP Protection Plus
Every booking includes ZMP Protection at no charge. It covers normal wear, operator-supervised interactions, and scenarios that fall within Approved Use — meaning the robot is operated by our certified operator in a cleared, supervised environment.
ZMP Protection does not cover Excluded Events: drops, liquid spills, unauthorized third-party use, or structural damage from the venue environment. Excluded Events are defined in the Handover Record you sign at delivery.
ZMP Protection+ is available as an add-on at 15% of your daily rate per day. For a 3-day booking at $299/day, that is $134.55 added to the total. Protection+ removes the excess on accidental contact damage — most relevant when the robot is positioned in high-traffic areas like trade show aisles, reception queues, or interactive photo stations.
If your event involves unsupervised attendee contact or unusual venue surfaces, Protection+ is worth considering. Our operator can advise on the day once they have seen the floor plan.
Delivery Day: What to Expect
Our operator arrives with the transport case before your venue opens. Check-in at load-in dock or main entrance — whichever your event coordinator specifies in the Reservation. The Handover Record is signed on delivery, noting the robot condition, battery charge state, and agreed interaction zones.
Setup takes 30 to 40 minutes on a flat, cleared floor. The robot needs access to a standard 110V outlet (1.5A draw during charge). Wi-Fi is used for remote monitoring by our ops team but is not required for basic demo operation.
During the event the operator stays with the unit. They control the interaction loop, manage crowd flow around the robot, and handle any charge swap during breaks. You do not need to assign venue staff to babysit the unit — that is what the operator is there for.
At the end of the booking window, the operator powers down the robot, packs the case, and coordinates collection pickup. The Handover Record is co-signed at this point. Deposit return processing begins within 5 business days of collection.
Planning Your Event Around the Robot
Position matters more than most clients expect. The G1 performs best in:
- Open floor areas with at least 3m x 3m of clear space around it
- Moderate lighting — its LiDAR performs well in both bright exhibition halls and dim event spaces
- Ambient noise up to 80dB — the robot cannot hold a spoken conversation in loud crowds, but it can perform scripted interaction loops (waving, gesturing, handing objects) without sound
What works well: welcome greeters at conference entrances, interactive photo stations, product-launch centerpieces, brand activations on trade show floors. We have placed the G1 in each of these contexts.
What to brief your AV team on: the robot does not require a microphone or speaker hookup for most activations. If you want audio-guided interaction (announcements, custom greetings), our operator can connect a Bluetooth speaker to the demo system. Confirm this at least 72 hours before delivery so we can program the audio sequence.
Coverage is available across all 48 contiguous US states. If your event is in Alaska or Hawaii, we cannot fulfill it — no exceptions.
FAQ
How far in advance do I need to book a humanoid robot rental?
We recommend 7 to 14 days for standard single-robot events. Multi-robot activations or large conferences benefit from 30 days lead time. Same-week bookings are sometimes available — contact us directly to check.
Is an operator always included, or do I need to provide one?
A trained ZMP robots operator comes with every booking. They handle setup, run the interaction loop, manage charge swaps, and pack down. You do not supply or source an operator separately.
What power does the robot need at the venue?
A standard 110V outlet drawing approximately 1.5A during charge. No special wiring, no generator, no three-phase supply. One outlet handles the charging station.
Can the robot interact with guests on its own, or does the operator control it?
The operator runs the interaction loop — scripted gestures, greetings, and movements pre-programmed to your event brief. The G1 does not respond to guest verbal commands during standard rental activations.
What happens if the robot malfunctions during my event?
The on-site operator troubleshoots in real time. We carry backup batteries and a basic spares kit for every booking. For hardware faults beyond field repair, the robot is returned and we work with you on remediation based on your Reservation terms.
Does ZMP robots cover damage caused by attendees?
ZMP Protection (base) covers Approved Use scenarios. ZMP Protection+ adds coverage for accidental attendee contact damage. Excluded Events — drops, spills, unauthorized use — are not covered under either plan.
Can I rent a humanoid robot in Alaska or Hawaii?
No. Our delivery network covers the 48 contiguous US states only. Alaska and Hawaii are not currently serviceable.
Conclusion
Renting a humanoid robot for your event is a straightforward process: pick your dates, choose your add-ons, pay online, and we handle everything from there. The Unitree G1 arrives with a trained operator, two batteries, and full setup support. Your guests get a real humanoid robot interaction — not a novelty toy. ZMP robots handles delivery, operation, and collection across all 48 contiguous US states.
Ready to check availability for your event dates? Visit our humanoid robot rental page to see pricing by window and confirm your Reservation.
