CHINA’S humanoid robots have demonstrated that they can outrun the fastest humans — but the greater challenge may be whether they can connect a cable, handle packages and carry out precision tasks reliably in the workplace.
The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened in Beijing on Saturday, combines sporting contests with tests designed to measure robots’ ability to work in simulated factories, warehouses, restaurants, offices and emergency situations.
The games feature 51 events, comprising 30 sports competitions and 21 scenario-based challenges. More than 40 per cent of the events require robots to operate fully autonomously, according to technology partner Huawei.
Reuters reported that two robots ran faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second 100-metre world record on Saturday, marking a sharp improvement from 2025, when the winning robot took more than 20 seconds to complete the distance.
However, braking remained a problem, with the machines crashing into a thick safety mat positioned several metres beyond the finish line.
Another humanoid robot, based on the same model as the 100-metre champion, completed the 400 metres in 39.7 seconds, faster than South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.03-second world record.
Spectator and robotics investor Xu Qiaosheng said the competition had become considerably more demanding.
“The intensity is higher than last year, which places significant demands on the robot’s battery management and thermal dissipation capabilities,” he said.
“It holds huge significance for the development of China’s industrial sector.”
Robots will also compete in tug-of-war and weightlifting, while Tai Chi and pitch-pot — a traditional game in which contestants throw arrow-like sticks into a narrow-necked vessel — are set to give Chinese sporting traditions a futuristic twist.
Yet the most significant challenges may lie beyond the spectacle of racing, lifting and jumping.
The real test will come when robots encounter the small imperfections of the physical world: a cable positioned at the wrong angle, an object just beyond reach, a shifting package or an unexpected missed step.
Such situations test whether a robot can identify objects, position its hands and body accurately, apply the right amount of force and recover from mistakes without human intervention.
Lumos Robotics chief executive Yu Chao said the games could help improve robotic hardware and provide an important showcase for the industry, but added that the longer-term value of humanoid robots would depend on their ability to solve practical problems.
“Only when it can work in those end scenarios does it have real value,” Yu said.
“Simply running and jumping does not improve efficiency.”
Beyond conventional sporting events, the robots will compete in electric vehicle charging, restaurant work, emergency response and hand-dexterity contests, as well as industrial assembly and material-loading challenges.
A cable-connection competition will test a robot’s vision systems, mechanical alignment and ability to control the force applied during the task.
Beijing-based robotics start-up Galbot is also expected to stage an autonomous humanoid tennis match, featuring robots competing in singles and doubles while tracking the ball, serving and returning shots.
For Hua Rong, chief marketing officer at robotics firm Zeroth, the decisive test will begin after the demonstrations and competitions have ended.
“The competition will be whether, after the product is sold, it can really solve users’ problems,” she said. - August 23, 2026
