Country Garden Services Rolls Out Cleaning Robots to Tackle Rising Labor Costs
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The robots, dubbed “Resident No. 0,” are designed to clean the floors of common areas in apartment buildings.
Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd. has started mass-producing cleaning robots for residential buildings, deploying 130 units across major Chinese cities as it seeks to automate property management and slash labor costs.
The robots, dubbed “Resident No. 0,” are designed to clean the floors of common areas in apartment buildings, capable of navigating elevators and avoiding obstacles before automatically returning to a docking station to recharge, the company said at a business event on Oct. 21.
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- Country Garden Services began mass-producing cleaning robots for residential buildings, with 130 units operating in major Chinese cities as of October 2024 and a goal to produce 1,000 by end-2025.
- The robots cut labor costs—each saves over 20,000 yuan annually—and complement human cleaners; industry peers like Vanke and China Merchants are also adopting automation.
- Challenges include residential environment complexity and resident interactions, but technology is improving, and widespread industry adoption is expected if cost-effectiveness is proven.
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Who’s Who
- Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd.
- Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd. (碧桂园服务) is mass-producing "Resident No. 0" cleaning robots for residential buildings, with 130 currently deployed. The company plans to produce 1,000 units by the end of 2025 and eventually 10,000 next year, aiming to automate property management and reduce labor costs. This initiative is part of their broader investment in digitalization and AI, with an annual spend of 400-500 million yuan.
- Vanke Service
- Vanke Service has embraced automation in property management, deploying artificial intelligence patrol cars for urban services. This initiative, like others in the industry, aims to enhance efficiency and reduce labor costs. Despite challenges in residential settings, Vanke Service is among the companies exploring technological solutions to modernize property management.
- China Merchants Property Operation & Service Co. Ltd.
- China Merchants Property Operation & Service Co. Ltd. (001914.SZ) is another industry player adopting automation in its property management services. The company utilizes security robots for inspection tasks, demonstrating a broader trend within the Chinese property management sector to embrace robotic solutions for efficiency and cost reduction.
- Nacity Property Service Group Co. Ltd.
- Nacity Property Service Group Co. Ltd. (603506.SH) is an industry player that has invested in a commercial cleaning robot developer. This places them among companies actively adopting automation to address cost pressures and enhance efficiency in the property management sector.
- Bright Dream Robotics
- Bright Dream Robotics is a subsidiary of Country Garden Group and was involved in Country Garden Services' initial push into robotics in 2018. While Country Garden Services later established its own R&D firm, Guangdong Meifang Zhigao Robot Co. Ltd., Bright Dream Robotics played a role in the parent company's early robotics endeavors.
- Guangdong Meifang Zhigao Robot Co. Ltd.
- Guangdong Meifang Zhigao Robot Co. Ltd. is a research and development firm established by Country Garden Services in 2021. This subsidiary focuses on robotics, hiring talent from tech giants like Huawei. Its first mass-produced robot, "Resident No. 0," is a cleaning robot designed for residential buildings.
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What Happened When
- 2018：
- Country Garden Services began its push into robotics through a collaboration with Bright Dream Robotics, a subsidiary of its parent company Country Garden Group.
- 2021：
- Country Garden Services established its own R&D firm, Guangdong Meifang Zhigao Robot Co. Ltd., hiring talent from tech giants like Huawei.
- July 21, 2025：
- An Industrial Securities report estimated that each Country Garden Services robot could save the company more than 20,000 yuan ($2,760) annually.
- August 2025：
- Xu Binhuai said at a semiannual earnings conference that Country Garden Services would invest 400 million to 500 million yuan annually in digital and AI research.
- As of Oct. 20, 2025：
- 130 Country Garden Services cleaning robots were operational in major cities including Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai.
- Oct. 21, 2025：
- Country Garden Services showcased its cleaning robots at a business event.
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