The three-day World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off in Beijing with 280 teams from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, as well as teams from Chinese universities and private companies such as Unitree and Fourier Intelligence. The robots compete in sports such as track and field, soccer, and table tennis, as well as robot-specific challenges such as drug sorting, material handling, and cleaning services.
Many robots fell during the competitions, including collisions in soccer and collapses in running races, but some robots were able to correct their course and return to standing without human intervention, drawing applause from the audience. China aims to test and develop humanoid robotics technologies for practical use in factories and other industries, as it invests billions of dollars to develop this sector to meet the challenges of an aging population and global technological competition.