China Hosts the World Humanoid Robot Games
China kicked off the three-day World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday in Beijing, bringing together 280 teams from 16 countries to showcase breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and robotics. The event, dubbed the “Robot Olympics”, featured competitions ranging from sports to real-world automation challenges.
Teams hailed from countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 teams representing universities and 88 from private enterprises such as China’s Unitree and Fourier Intelligence. Many competitors used robots from Chinese manufacturers like Booster Robotics.
Robots Compete in Sports and Real-World Challenges
The competition featured sports such as track and field, table tennis, and football, alongside robotics-specific tasks including medicine sorting, materials handling, and cleaning services.
At the robot football matches, humanoids frequently crashed into each other and toppled over, while others collapsed mid-sprint during running events. Despite the tumbles, many robots managed to stand up without human help, earning applause from spectators.
Max Polter, a member of Germany’s HTWK Robots football team, said:
“We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research… If we try something and it doesn’t work, we lose the game. That’s sad, but it’s better than investing a lot of money into a failed product.”
Audience Engagement and Ticket Sales
The Beijing event charged 128 to 580 yuan ($17.83–$80.77) for tickets and attracted both robotics enthusiasts and the general public. Organisers noted that the games provided valuable data for developing robots for practical applications such as factory work.
Commentators added that football matches, in particular, help train robots’ coordination skills, which could benefit assembly line operations requiring multiple robots to collaborate.
China’s Push for Robotics Leadership
China is investing billions of dollars in humanoid robots as it faces an ageing population and heightened competition with the U.S. over advanced technologies. In recent months, China has staged:
- The world’s first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing
- High-profile robotics conferences
- Retail store openings dedicated to humanoid robots
A recent Morgan Stanley report highlighted a surge in public attendance at robotics events, noting how “China, not just top government officials, has embraced the concept of embodied intelligence.”
