THE world’s first humanoid robot games kicked off at the National Speed Skating Oval, drawing 500 androids from 16 countries.
Events range from 100-metre hurdles to kung fu, blending traditional sports with practical challenges like medical sorting.
Hundreds of robotics teams aim for gold at the venue originally built for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
“I believe in the next 10 years or so, robots will be basically at the same level as humans,“ said 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan.
Early football matches saw child-sized robots stumbling across the pitch, frequently collapsing in unison.
Unitree’s domestic champion robots dominated the 1500-metre race, clocking speeds far below human world records.
One collision between a sprinting robot and its handler left the human knocked over while the machine stayed upright.
Organisers confirm this marks the first global competition exclusively for humanoid-form robots.
China positions robotics as central to its national strategy, according to the International Federation of Robotics.
“The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology,“ their report stated.
Schools like that of 10-year-old attendee Cui Han’s son are sponsoring educational trips to the event.
China recently announced a one-trillion-yuan fund to boost robotics and AI startups.
The country already leads in industrial robot adoption, hosting a humanoid half-marathon earlier this year.
Spectator Chen, an incoming automation student, praised boxing robots for demonstrating agility improvements.
Kung fu competitors drew laughter when a Transformer-like bot faceplanted during a routine.
The fallen robot spun helplessly as the crowd cheered its struggle to rise. - AFP
