World Humanoid Robot Games Debut in Beijing: Over 500 Robots Race, Dance, and Stumble
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Beijing recently became the stage for the first World Humanoid Robot Games, a unique global event where humanoid robots competed in athletic, performance, and practical challenges. Held from August 14 to 17 at the National Speed Skating Oval—the “Ice Ribbon” from the 2022 Winter Olympics—the event drew over 500 robots, representing 280 teams from 16 countries, including the U.S., Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Italy.
The competitions spanned 26 events, ranging from track and field, soccer, kickboxing, dancing, to practical tasks such as sorting medicine, cleaning, and logistics scenarios. The opening ceremony featured robot dance and percussion performances, with some robots playing musical instruments.
Spectators cheered as robots scored goals, punched in the ring, and completed sprints—despite frequent tumbles, coordination mishaps, and system glitches. Robots often collided, collapsed mid-race, or required human assistance to get back up—though some demonstrated autonomous recovery, earning audience applause.
Standout performances included Unitree’s champion robot and H1, which excelled in the 1,500-meter race—while still considerable slower than human record times (around 6 minutes versus roughly half that). In football, Tsinghua University’s Hephaestus team defeated Germany’s Robotics+Nao Devils 1–0 in the 5-a-side final.
Organizers highlighted the Games’ dual purpose: they are both an entertaining showcase and a valuable research testbed, offering engineers real-world insights to enhance robot agility, teamwork, and application readiness in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality.
