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The first ever World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off Friday in China, drawing 280 teams from 16 countries. Early footage from the competitions and opening ceremony delivers a mix of awe and unease for human spectators.
Over 500 humanoid robots are competing in the three-day event across 26 different competitions. These range from traditional sports like track and field, table tennis, soccer, and kickboxing to practical applications including medicine sorting, material handling, and cleaning services. Robots will also navigate obstacle courses and participate in dance competitions.
A Unitree H1 humanoid claimed the first gold medal by completing the 1,500-meter race in 6 minutes and 34 seconds on Friday. That’s significantly slower than human Olympic records – the men’s record stands at 3:27.65, while women hold a 3:51.29 mark.
The race wasn’t without drama.
During the event, one competitor suddenly collapsed while sprinting at full speed, according to Reuters. The Guardian reported another robot had to withdraw after its head detached mid-race. Similar chaos unfolded during a soccer match when four robots collided and fell into what Reuters described as “a tangled heap.”
Mashable India notes that competition rules require all robots to be “self-developed, purchased or leased by the participating teams.” They must also have “a trunk, upper limbs, and two feet” and operate with their own power sources.
Spectator tickets range from $18 to $80 – a price that seems reasonable to some attendees. Hong Yun, a 58-year-old retired engineer, told the Guardian that watching the robots compete was “much more exciting than seeing real humans.”
The Games coincide with China’s launch of a new four-story Robot Mall spanning over 43,000 square feet – a shopping center dedicated exclusively to robot sales. The country also recently hosted the five-day World Robot Conference (WRC) in Beijing from August 8-12.
