A hire package is a good choice for a hands-on introduction to remote control and obstacle courses, provided its controls and support match the activities planned for your students. If the group is to develop its own programmes, make sure development access and set-up are explicitly included for the hired robot. Before booking, also check the safety requirements for the specific model, along with the hire period, transport arrangements and damage policy.
For schools and education providers organising a time-limited robotics activity and needing help with set-up and induction. Technical support and educational guidance should be agreed separately. TONEART says its MagicDog EDU hire offer includes help with set-up, induction and technical queries.
For courses where participants are starting out with controls, movement planning and navigating obstacles. The DLR_School_Lab at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg describes an obstacle course using a remote control or tablet. What activities the group can carry out independently depends on the specific hire model.
For teachers planning their own movement or sensor experiments and needing suitable development access and ready-to-use examples. MagicLab lists programming functions for MagicDog models, and the MagiclabRobotics manufacturer repository contains Python examples. Check in advance whether access will be set up and available to use as part of the hire package.
First decide whether the group will mainly operate the robot, develop its own programmes or have support during the activity. This will determine the access, roles and hire services you need.
A good fit if: you are planning a time-limited robotics activity and need technical support.
Consider: Technical support does not automatically include teaching. If an operator controls the robot, this may limit how freely the group can use it.
A good fit if: participants are to get hands-on experience with the controls and movement planning.
Consider: Operating a robot is not the same as having access to develop your own programmes.
A good fit if: movement programmes or sensor experiments are part of the learning objectives.
Consider: Visual programming, prepared scenes and SDK access are different services. Ask the provider to confirm the configuration you need and that a sample task can be run.
Information from TONEART and OSIKO describes different support models. The DLR_School_Lab at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg shows how a robot can be used on an obstacle course, while the MagicLab model matrix and manufacturer repository indicate programming capabilities. However, they do not confirm that these will be set up as part of a particular hire package.
| What you need | What to check when booking | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Support and induction | Who will operate the robot during student activities, and exactly what induction and support have been agreed? | If I need technical help but also want to decide what the group will do for itself, I look for clearly defined roles. Around 27% of consumers put support and induction first. |
| Learning objectives and programming access | Distinguish between remote control, visual programming and SDK access. Ask the provider to confirm that the access you need will be set up for the hired robot. | If the group is to work on its own movement or sensor tasks, the supplied configuration needs to support them. For around 26% of consumers, access to the learning and programming features they need takes priority. |
| Hire period and arrangements | Agree the hire period, handover and return, as well as transport, set-up and the damage policy for the specific offer. | When I organise a time-limited project, I want to understand the whole process in advance, including transport and responsibilities. For around 21% of consumers, hire arrangements are the most important factor when choosing. |
| Safe use with the group | Check the manual for the model supplied, the planned activities, the space available and the school’s risk assessment. | If students are to use the robot hands-on, supervision, the area in which it moves and the model’s requirements all need to work together. Around 26% of consumers give the highest priority to safety when using a robot with a group and in a particular space. |
TONEART describes flexible project periods but does not specify a standard minimum hire period for all models. The DGUV recommends assessing risks in advance for school lessons. The Unitree Go2 manual V1.0 specifies a minimum distance of 2 metres from obstacles and crowds, among other things, for this model. This requirement does not apply to other robot dogs.
Visual programming, SDK examples and a custom scene set-up are not the same thing. A feature listed by the manufacturer does not confirm that access to it will be set up on the hired robot.
Ask for a specific learning task and the access and set-up it requires to be included in the hire offer.
OSIKO describes an operator who controls the robot. This does not mean that all participants will be able to operate it themselves.
Before booking, agree the roles of the operator, teacher and participants for each hands-on activity.
Age and distance requirements may affect your planned activities. The requirements in the Go2 manual do not automatically apply to other robot dogs or every version supplied.
Plan the space for movement and student involvement using the manual for the model actually supplied and the school’s risk assessment.
TONEART refers to separate terms for certain services. Its general terms and conditions of sale therefore will not necessarily answer every question about a specific hire.
Check the full hire offer, including the hire period, transport, support, return arrangements and damage policy.
MagicLab is relevant here because TONEART offers MagicDog EDU and MagicDog PRO for hire, and specifically presents EDU as suitable for education projects.
The Go2 family is available to hire in Germany; OSIKO describes a hire model where the robot is operated by one of its own operators.
The Joybuy products below are options to buy for robot dog activities, not hire packages. Buying a robot does not automatically include the induction, support, transport or damage arrangements that you would need to agree as part of a hire.
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May suit activities focused on vision follow and voice interaction; these features are mentioned in the product title.
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For activities involving follow and voice interaction; the product title mentions vision follow and UWB follow.
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For activities involving a dual wheel-and-leg mode and follow functions; the product title also mentions voice interaction.
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For activities exploring follow, obstacle avoidance and voice interaction; these features are listed in the product title.
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For a hands-on introduction focused on remote control. The product description says that secondary development is not supported; also check the age requirements listed there.
Yes, providers also offer daily hire. OSIKO lists day-by-day hire, while TONEART describes daily and project-based hire periods to suit your needs. Agree the specific period, including handover and return, as there is no standard minimum hire period that applies to every provider.
No. Technical help, operating the robot and educational guidance are different services. For MagicDog EDU, TONEART mentions support with set-up and technical queries; OSIKO describes an operator who controls the robot. Also agree who will explain the learning activities and support the group.
Base your plans on the manual for the specific model and the activity you have in mind, not just the robot’s dimensions. The Unitree Go2 manual V1.0 specifies a minimum distance of 2 metres from obstacles and crowds, among other things. For school activities, the DGUV recommends identifying and assessing risks in advance and deciding on appropriate measures.
The Unitree Go2 manual V1.0 does not provide for use by people under 14. This is a manufacturer requirement, not a legal age limit established here. Do not take it as approval for younger groups to operate the robot themselves, and check the manual for the version actually supplied.
The DGUV guidance on technology lessons states that the school leadership is responsible for risk assessments as part of lesson preparation and delivery. An operator provided by the hire company does not replace the school’s responsibility for planning how the robot will be used.