Beijing Hosts Second Humanoid Robot Games with Over 2,000 Entries

The Second World Humanoid Robot Games opened on August 22 at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, bringing together 2,056 robots and 666 teams from six continents. The multi-day competition features 51 sporting and applied scenario events, ranging from track-and-field sprints and table tennis to warehouse logistics and assembly. The event serves as a high-visibility testbed for hardware stability, dynamic balance, and operational precision in embodied artificial intelligence.

Evaluating humanoid robots across athletic sprints and complex functional tasks offers a direct benchmark for hardware durability, actuator performance, and balance control algorithms. As embodied AI moves from research labs toward commercial deployment, competitive multi-scenario testing helps identify mechanical failure rates and software limits under rigorous operating conditions.

The Second World Humanoid Robot Games officially opened on August 22 at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, drawing thousands of bipedal machines for a comprehensive multi-day competition testing agility, endurance, and operational utility. According to state media reports, this year's event features 2,056 robots representing 666 teams from six continents, marking a 138 percent increase in participating teams and a fourfold increase in total robotic entries compared to the inaugural competition. Scheduled to run through August 26, the tournament encompasses 51 distinct events across 1,301 individual match sessions. During preliminary track-and-field rounds, a humanoid robot developed by Team Tianzhuo recorded a preliminary 100-meter sprint time of 9.39 seconds, according to official on-site result postings reported by Xinhua. The competition also featured an exhibition race involving actor Li Yunrui and a humanoid marathon robot, demonstrating dynamic acceleration and steady-state gait control. Beyond traditional track-and-field and soccer matches, organizers expanded the athletic roster to include weightlifting, tug-of-war, and table tennis. These additional events are designed to subject structural frames, joint motors, and sensor-fusion systems to extreme physical strain and rapid directional shifts. Alongside athletic contests, the games introduced expanded real-world scenario competitions spanning industrial, logistics, household, and hospitality environments. Tasks include warehouse packaging, crate unboxing, precision component loading, and retail service operations. These trials aim to evaluate how effectively autonomous humanoid platforms can transition from controlled sports tracks into functional, unstructured human work environments.