World’s first Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing

(Pic: Xinhua)

BEJING 15 Aug 2025: The world’s first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games opened on Friday at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, bringing together more than 500 android competitors from 16 countries in a spectacle of wobbling tumbles, surprising displays of agility and experimental engineering.

Hundreds of robotics teams filled the Olympic venue — originally built for the 2022 Winter Games — to contest events ranging from 100‑metre hurdles and a 1500‑metre race to five‑a‑side football, kung fu demonstrations and practical challenges such as medicine categorisation and automated cleaning. Organizers said the aim was to accelerate public engagement with humanoid robotics while benchmarking progress across speed, balance, dexterity and decision‑making.

“The pace of improvement this year is remarkable,” said Dr. Li Wen, head of competitions for the Games. “A decade ago these machines could barely walk in a straight line. Now they negotiate obstacles, coordinate in teams, and execute complex motion sequences. This competition lets us compare designs in a public, standardized environment.”

Crowds watched with alternating amusement and awe. At the five‑a‑side football match early Friday, ten child‑sized robots shuffled and bumped across the turf, frequently collapsing in scrimmages and sometimes awkwardly pushing one another into piled heaps. Spectators laughed and cheered as the machines struggled with ball control; children raced the sidelines imitating their metallic counterparts.

Yet in the 1500‑metre race, domestic contender Unitree’s humanoids showed striking speed and endurance, stomping along the oval and leaving several rivals behind. The fastest machine observed by reporters completed the circuit in 6 hours, 29 minutes and 37 seconds — still far from elite human marathon pace, but a notable leap for bipedal platforms. In one tense moment a mechanical racer clipped a human operator; the robot remained upright while the person fell, later confirmed unhurt.

“We design our control systems to prioritize stability in contact situations,” said Maria Castillo, lead engineer for a Spain‑based team. “Collisions are part of real‑world operation; learning to recover is a core objective of the Games.”

China’s government has invested heavily in robotics, and the event underscored an official push to place humanoids at the centre of national technological strategy. The International Federation of Robotics flagged Beijing’s emphasis in a recent briefing, noting the state’s desire to showcase competence and competitiveness in the field.

“Competitions like this are vital to inspire a generation of engineers,” said Cui Han, who attended with her 10‑year‑old son after his school funded the trip. “I hope he sees robotic development as something he can study and build in the future.”

Young spectators such as 18‑year‑old Chen Ruiyuan were already dreaming of careers in automation. “I believe in the next ten years robots will be basically at the same level as humans,” Chen told reporters. “Coming here has only increased my passion.”

Not all attempts were graceful. In the kung fu ring, a small Transformer‑like bot attempted a spinning strike and collapsed face‑first, spinning on the floor as the crowd applauded its effort. Judges awarded points not only for speed but resilience, coordination and the ability to complete practical tasks — a nod to robotics’ growing role beyond sports.

Organizers plan to stage the Games again next year with additional categories for teamwork, autonomous decision making and industrial tasks. “This is more than entertainment,” Dr. Li said. “It’s a live laboratory that will shape how humanoid robots integrate into daily life — in healthcare, logistics and public service — in the decades to come.”