Beijing made history this week by hosting the world’s first humanoid robot games, featuring an impressive 100-meter race among various competitive events. The competition kicked off on Thursday evening with an opening ceremony that showcased the remarkable capabilities of humanoid robots in athletics, soccer, and entertainment.
The three-day event running from August 15 to 17, brought together 280 teams from 16 countries to compete across 26 different events. According to sources, the competition encompasses four main categories: competitive, performance, scenario, and peripheral contests, totaling an impressive 487 matches. The 100-meter race stands as one of the premier competitive events, demonstrating the advanced locomotion capabilities of modern humanoid robots.
What makes this competition particularly fascinating is the attention to detail in robot design and presentation during the event. Teams invested considerable effort in creating authentic appearances for their mechanical athletes.
One team drew inspiration from China’s famous terracotta warriors, recreating the ancient sculptures’ appearance, color, and material texture for their robot competitor.
The technical challenges involved in preparing robots for such competitions are substantial. Designers must carefully balance aesthetics with functionality, ensuring that costumes and decorative elements don’t exceed strict weight limits or interfere with the robots’ performance. As one team explained, costumes cannot exceed 3 kg and must accommodate the robot’s heat dissipation requirements while maintaining 40 degrees of joint flexibility.
“We definitely based it on the original terracotta warrior, including its appearance, color, and material texture. At the same time, we had to take measurements for the robot. Since the robot wears the costume with added weights, it cannot exceed 3 kg. We also had to address heat dissipation on its back and ensure the robot’s 40° of joint flexibility. Our costume cannot interfere with the robot’s joint movements. So from the early stages of costume design all the way to fitting the robot, the process took a very long time,” explained one team representative.
The World Humanoid Robot Games represents a significant milestone in robotics development, showcasing how far the technology has progressed in terms of mobility, balance, and athletic performance. The 100-meter race, in particular, highlights the sophisticated engineering required to achieve human-like running motions in mechanical systems.
This event in Beijing will potentially inspire further innovations in robot mobility and artificial intelligence.