East Asia
The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games combine events modelled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and in emergency situations.
A staff member wipes the floor after fire extinguishers were used to put out a flame on a humanoid robot that caught fire after completing a 100m large-size group preliminary race, during the second World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China on August 22, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Florence Lo)
23 Aug 2026 10:26PM
BEIJING: China's humanoid robots have shown they can run quicker than the fastest humans.Now comes the real test - can they also handle packaging and warehouse operations while reliably performing precision tasks like connecting cables designed to evaluate their ability to work like humans in less flashy jobs?The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games, which began Saturday (Aug 22) in Beijing, combine events modelled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and in emergency situations.The games, heavily promoted in Chinese state media, feature 51 events, including 30 sports competitions and 21 scenario-based contests. More than 40 per cent require robots to operate fully autonomously, according to Huawei, a tech partner of the games.
