Beijing to host games featuring more than 2,000 humanoid robots

The World Humanoid Robot Games will be held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval from August 22 to 26, with 2,056 robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries, including China, the United States, Germany, Japan and Brazil, eWeek reports.

China will have by far the largest representation, with 641 teams and 1,975 robots representing 157 companies and 200 research institutes and universities.

The games will feature 51 competitions and 1,301 matches, compared with 26 competitions at last year’s event, which involved four times fewer robots. New sporting disciplines include table tennis, weightlifting, long jump and tug-of-war.

Organizers have tightened the rules on autonomous operation to encourage technological development. Remote control is now prohibited in most track-and-field and competitive events, while the time limit for the 100-meter race has been reduced from three minutes to one.

Beyond athletics, the number of scenario-based competitions has increased from six to 21, with competitions taking place in nine simulated environments, including hotels, factories, libraries and shopping malls. Specialized events will test robots’ fine motor skills, including cable installation and tool assembly.

“Once robots master these ‘last-meter’ skills, they can turn medals into orders and move directly from the competition arena to real-world workplaces,” said Jiang Guangzhi, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.

By Jeyhun Aghazada