Beijing humanoid games pit robots in 51 events, from sprints to boxing
What's new: Organizers mixed 30 sports events with 21 workplace and emergency tests to gauge robots' real-world usefulness.
China's second World Humanoid Robot Games opened in Beijing on Saturday with robots sprinting, boxing, playing football and performing Tai Chi in a five-day showcase of humanoid machines. Organizers scheduled 51 events, including 30 sports contests and 21 scenario-based trials in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and emergency settings. Reuters reported two robots beat Usain Bolt's 9.58-second 100-meter record, while another ran 400 meters in 39.7 seconds, faster than Wayde van Niekerk's world best. More than 40% of events require fully autonomous operation, tech partner Huawei said. The games are also testing whether robots can handle precise tasks, recover from mistakes and work reliably outside staged demonstrations.