More than 500 human-like robots from 16 countries, including Japan, have demonstrated their skills at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.
The four-day event that ended on Sunday was hosted by the Chinese capital’s municipal government and other entities. China has been making strenuous efforts to excel in the field of humanoid robotics.
The robots competed in 26 events, such as track and field, soccer and dancing.
In the 100-meter sprint, the winning robot clocked 21.5 seconds.
Kick-boxing robots, operated by humans, staggered after getting punched by their opponents, but regained their balance and kept on fighting.
There were some mishaps. On the soccer pitch, fully-autonomous robots competed in teams. One of them suddenly collapsed after going out of control. In the 400-meter relay, robots collided with one another.
An 11-year-old boy said that when one robot fell, the others fell as well. He said that’s different from human beings.
A man in his 40s visiting with his family said China has seen rapid progress in humanoid robotics in recent years. He said he believes China will become a leading force in this sector.
Some competitions were about serving hotel customers or sorting construction materials in real-world situations. Some robots took too much time performing their tasks or failed to complete them.
The event also highlighted the challenges that developers will have to tackle.