World Humanoid Robot Games Set New Records in Beijing

The World Humanoid Robot Games commenced with a remarkable display in Beijing, breaking past records held by human athletes. Among the many feats, Chinese humanoid robots outpaced the legendary Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint record, marking a significant milestone.

Over 2,000 humanoid robots engaged in this event, showcasing advanced robotics capabilities as China continues to excel in technology amid increasing competition with the U.S. According to organizers, the games feature 51 events with over 1,000 competitions, including running, table tennis, and soccer.

Taking place at the National Speed Skating Oval, initially built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the event coincides with the World Robot Conference in Beijing. Here, companies presented around 3,000 products, highlighting China’s commanding presence in the humanoid robot sector.

The U.S. recently intensified its examination of Chinese robots. The FCC implemented a ban on importing new foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns. This move notably targeted China, and Unitree, a prominent Chinese robot manufacturer, has been added to the Pentagon’s list of firms with alleged military ties.

During the opening ceremony, a humanoid robot completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.39 seconds. This time exceeded the 9.58 seconds recorded by Usain Bolt in 2009. In a standing high jump, a robot reached 2.88 meters, surpassing both last year’s record and the human high jump record of 2.45 meters set by Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor in 1993. These robots, developed by Beijing-based X-Humanoid, demonstrated unprecedented achievements.

Prior to the games, a humanoid robot from Honor, a Chinese smartphone company, achieved a sprint record of 9.32 seconds during trials, reaching speeds of 14.5 meters per second.

Experts point out that humanoid robots mostly serve demonstration, performance, and research roles currently. Mass deployment in real-world applications remains a goal for the future. Spectators expressed excitement at the rapid advancements in robotic capabilities.

Li Yanfeng, a local education worker, initially had reservations about artificial intelligence but acknowledged the irrepressible progress in the field. Witnessing these developments firsthand, she found robotic achievements in sports astounding.

Yang Shangzheng, a spectator, marvelled at how robots have begun to successfully perform sports traditionally held by humans.

Another observer, Liu Tao, attended the event with aspirations of seeing the pinnacle of Chinese humanoid robotics.

This year, 16 countries including Germany, Japan, and the U.S. are participating in the games, which now also embrace events such as weightlifting and tug of war.