World's first humanoid robot games begin in China

The world’s first-ever humanoid robot games kicked off Friday in Beijing, bringing together more than 500 androids from 16 countries to compete in events ranging from athletics and basketball to kung fu and everyday tasks like medical sorting and cleaning.

Held at the National Speed Skating Oval—originally built for the 2022 Winter Olympics—the competition blends traditional sports with real-world applications, showcasing both the promise and limitations of humanoid robotics.

While robots dazzled at times, they also provided comic relief. In a five-a-side football match, androids—roughly the size of seven-year-olds—frequently toppled over or became stuck in clusters.

In contrast, Unitree’s humanoids impressed in the 1500-metre race, finishing in 6:29:37—well behind the human world record of 3:26:00 but still outpacing rival machines.

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One highlight moment came when a robot collided with a human operator, sending the person sprawling while the robot remained upright, drawing laughter from spectators.

Eighteen-year-old attendee Chen Ruiyuan voiced optimism for the future: “I believe in the next 10 years or so, robots will be basically at the same level as humans.”