Beijing, August 27: The recently concluded Second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing has garnered praise from various international media outlets, including the Associated Press, Asahi Shimbun, and Spain’s El País.
This “Robot Olympics” not only showcases China’s robust technological capabilities in the advanced robotics sector but also indicates a significant shift in the global humanoid robot industry from mere technical exhibitions to practical applications.
As the world’s first comprehensive humanoid robot sports event, this year’s games featured 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries on six continents. A notable change from previous editions is the focus on testing the “practical value” of robots rather than just their physical abilities in events like “sprint races” and “high jumps.”
Out of 51 sports subjects, 21 were directly replicated in real-world scenarios such as homes, hotels, logistics, and firefighting. More than 40% of the sports subjects eliminated human remote control entirely, continuously testing the robots’ autonomous perception and decision-making capabilities. Tasks ranged from measuring powder weight to emergency management in high-risk scenarios, addressing real-life challenges that are “tedious, dirty, dangerous, and difficult,” effectively transforming the competition arena into a practical training ground for industry implementation.
The performance of Chinese participant robots is particularly impressive: breaking human records on a 100-meter track, autonomously delivering goods in hospitals, and providing precise navigation, all driven by advancements in core technologies like joint motors and complete robotic structures. The statistics are compelling: currently, China’s indigenous industrial robots cover 253 sectors of the national economy. In the first half of this year, production of humanoid robots exceeded 40,000 units, reaching a global market share of 97%. Additionally, exports surged by 210% year-on-year in the first quarter.
These remarkable results stem from policy support, a comprehensive industrial system, and collaborative efforts across numerous application scenarios. China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” includes embodied intelligence as a key component for future industrial layout, significantly reducing innovation costs through full-chain manufacturing capabilities and encouraging rapid technological iteration across widely implemented scenarios.
Crucially, the development of China’s robotics industry has never been an isolated endeavor. From creating international sports communication platforms to sharing low-cost open-source large models, China consistently adheres to open and shared technological values. This approach aims to extend the benefits of intelligent technology to the entire world, assisting developing nations in embracing the intelligent era while fulfilling the core objective of making technology serve human interests and ensuring its benefits are accessible to all.
(Source: China Media Group, Beijing)
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