Beijing games showcase robotics innovation

The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing have showcased how sport is accelerating robotics innovation and capturing public imagination.

Over three days, more than 500 robots from 280 teams across 16 countries competed in 487 events that ranged from athletics and soccer to combat and hotel service simulations.

At the closing ceremony on Sunday, organizers announced the establishment of the World Humanoid Robotics Games Federation, dedicated to advancing humanoid robot sports, with Beijing set to host the second Games in August 2026.

Spectators were left astonished as humanoid robots sprinted 1,500 meters at speeds rivaling university athletes or performed synchronized dances dressed as Terracotta Warriors. Some robots veered off track or collided with referees, drawing laughter and applause, while others passed soccer balls flawlessly, occasionally scoring in their own goals. The mix of impressive feats and endearing mishaps underscored both the rapid progress and the challenges that remain in better managing humanoid mobility and coordination.

"These Games bring together top-tier teams from across China and around the world, providing a platform to showcase their latest research and achievements in robotics, and it also fosters mutual learning and collaboration among participants," said Lou Kaiqi, who directed a Terracotta Warrior-themed dance performance.

His team developed group-control software to synchronize nine robots in complex routines.

"Each unit was precisely calibrated to move in rhythm, creating a visually striking performance," he added.

The growing publicity around such events has drawn broader attention to the robotics industry, particularly to advancements in robotic movement. This has significantly accelerated technological progress in the field over the past two years, driving remarkable developments in robotic capabilities.

"This event's greatest value lies in public engagement," said Huang Siyuan of the BIGAI-Unitree team, which competed in the hotel service challenge. "People can see how autonomously and efficiently these robots handle everyday tasks, something many care about."

The Games are also accelerating technical breakthroughs by taking humanoid robots out of laboratories and into real-world scenarios. The competition acts as a testing ground, helping refine viable innovations and push them toward wider adoption. Huang said humanoid robots hold significant potential to revolutionize hotel cleaning operations.

"The benefit of humanoid robots is safety and privacy. Many people worry about inconsistent cleaning quality in hotels, but robots can perform tasks with higher reliability and precision, ensuring greater trust. Their standardized execution reduces human error, making them a preferable solution for some environments," Huang said.

Huang added that hotel service robots need to perform autonomous navigation and interactive operations within the environment, such as picking up a suitcase or collecting trash and disposing of it in a bin. These actions demonstrate humanoid robots' strong interactive capabilities in real-world scenarios.

The Games also highlighted Beijing's ambitions to become a global robotics hub. The city has rolled out multibillion-yuan investment funds, innovation centers and industrial policies to support humanoid robot research, manufacturing and deployment. Its humanoid robot sector now accounts for about a third of China's market, with revenues up nearly 40 percent in the first half of this year, according to data released by authorities.