The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games are scheduled to take place in Beijing from August 14 to 17.
This groundbreaking event will feature humanoid robots competing in a variety of athletic competitions, showcasing advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics.
E-Town Marathon. Image via MSN
Beijing has already witnessed robots compete in the E-Town Half Marathon back in April, and now automatons are being put to the test in a slew of competitive sports for human viewing pleasure.
Although most of the participants are from China, 30 additional teams from across the world will enter the competition, including robotics developers from the United States, Brazil, Germany, and Portugal.
Image via CGTN
Humanoid robots will compete in track-and-field events (100m, 400m, 1500m, 4x100m relay, 100m obstacle race, standing long jump, standing high jump), free gymnastics, and soccer matches (2 vs 2, 3 vs 3, and 5 vs 5).
In addition, they will showcase their skills in solo and group dancing performances—if you saw this year’s Spring Festival Gala, you know how entertaining large groups of dancing devices can be.
Robots performing the Chinese handkerchief dance (shǒu juàn huā) at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala. Image via CCTV
There will also be ‘Scenario Competitions,’ in which humanoid robots will perform simulated tasks relevant to real-world applications in fields like healthcare, hospitality, and industry, such as drug sorting and concierge services.
(We're not sure how entertaining those will be to watch, but these feats are definitely more practical than doing the Chinese handkerchief dance.)
Packaging robot. Image via Beijing.gov
The ’Peripheral Events’ category will involve both humanoid and non-humanoid robots participating in various demonstrations and competing in sports such as badminton, basketball, and table tennis.
Badminton robot. Image via CCTV
The games aim to demonstrate the latest innovations in AI and robotics, particularly in areas like autonomous movement, decision-making, object recognition (like locating a soccer ball), and recovering from falls.
The World Humanoid Robot Games will run concurrently with the 2025 World Robot Conference (WRC), which is scheduled for August 8 to 12.
The WRC will also showcase new robotics products and innovations, focusing on humanoid robots and their real-world applications.
Soccer robots taking a 'rest.' Image via NR
If you’re interested in checking out the competitions, they will be held across Beijing’s iconic Olympic venues including the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) and the National Speed Skating Oval (Ice Ribbon).
You can purchase tickets on the ‘Chaopiaosaiyan’ WeChat mini-program or on platforms such as Damai, Maoyan, Ticket Planet, WAG, Piaomifeng, and Hongguozi.
Ticket holders get access to a number of citywide discounts including sightseeing tickets to Olympic landmarks and various promotions in commercial districts.
Although watching a soccer match between robots is currently like attending a peewee soccer match, watching robots fall down and get back up is much more entertaining—and you don’t have to politely hide your laughter.
For ticket prices and the full event schedule, see below:
[Cover image via Ideogram]
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