As of July 8, 2026, a quiet revolution is rolling through American hospitals and creeping into suburban homes: robots are no longer just for purchase—they're for rent. From the friendly, one-armed Moxi shuttling medical supplies in Texas to humanoid dancers entertaining corporate events in California, the robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model is reshaping how the U.S. adopts automation. The shift, driven by cost concerns and rapid technological evolution, means that for the first time, small hospitals and even individual consumers can access cutting-edge machines without a six-figure upfront investment.
The most visible example is Moxi, built by Austin-based Diligent Robotics. Currently deployed in about 100 U.S. hospitals, Moxi is a four-foot-tall, wheeled robot that ferries lab samples, medications, and linens. Instead of a purchase price, hospitals pay a monthly subscription fee that covers hardware, software updates, and remote human oversight. "It lowers the expense and the outlay for the hospital because you're not paying for the full purchase up front," says Todd Brugger, Diligent's COO. "More importantly, this tech is evolving very quickly… we're routinely evolving the software and capabilities." Nurses have even been known to greet Moxi with high-fives, a sign the bot has become part of the clinical team.
Beyond healthcare, the rental model is exploding into entertainment and agriculture. Humanoid robots—still a work-in-progress—are now hired by the day for weddings, corporate galas, and trade shows. Models can dance, sing, or serve drinks, with engineers often on standby to handle glitches. "You hire a real dancer to perform and video it. The video trains the robot. Then the robot knows how to dance," explains Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint Research. "But the engineer still often goes with the robot in case the environment isn't simple." These humanoid rentals are particularly popular in China, but U.S. event planners are increasingly booking them for novelty acts.
Perhaps the most ambitious play targets the American home. California-based 1X plans to ship its home helper robot, NEO, later this year. Early-access customers can either buy NEO outright for $20,000 or subscribe for $499 per month. That subscription includes ongoing software upgrades and remote support—a critical feature as home environments are far less predictable than factory floors. Analysts predict that if NEO succeeds, it could democratize domestic robotics, allowing families to test automation without committing to a depreciating asset.
The RaaS model, however, comes with strings. Subscribers rely on companies to maintain the robots, and if a firm goes under, the hardware stops working. Privacy concerns also loom: remote engineers can take control of rented robots, raising questions about data security in homes and hospitals. Still, with tech advancing so rapidly—and the U.S. facing persistent labor shortages in healthcare and hospitality—the rent-a-bot trend shows no signs of slowing. For now, Americans are learning that the future of robotics isn't just about buying smarter machines, but about leasing them, one month at a time.