GoKawiilIf you’re anything like me, the World Humanoid Robot Games are a highlight of your sporting calendar.
The event, held in China, showcases the latest humanoid hardware, lots of algorithmic innovations, and a good dose of robot slapstick. This year’s iteration, which wrapped up in Beijing on August 26, did not disappoint. Besides record-breaking feats—the fastest humanoid on the planet!—and the occasional calamity—weightlifting gone wrong!—the games also included some new challenges that hint at the event’s real purpose: pushing humanoid companies to develop systems that inch closer and closer to practical deployment.
First, though, let’s marvel at some of the more dramatic happenings, which have been all over the internet since things kicked off on August 22.
The opening ceremony showcased the sheer size of the event—the organizers say that more than 600 teams showed up with over 2,000 robots. There are more than 100 humanoid robot manufacturers in China alone, and participants also traveled in from 15 other countries.
Humanoid robots are seen preparing for the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games. Video: Qilai Shen/Getty Images
The games featured a mix of contests and competitions, and some saw judges scoring a robot’s performance. Witness the Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, running the 100-meter dash in 8.86 seconds. Another robot called Lightning, from the smartphone maker Honor, ran the distance in 9.47 seconds a few days earlier.