The second annual World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing showcased significant advancements in robotics, with robots achieving record-breaking speeds and jumps. The event, which ran from August 22-26, included both athletic competitions and practical, real-world tasks.
A robot from Beijing-based company X-Humanoid won the 100-meter sprint in 8.64 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 2009 record of 9.64 seconds. The same robot also achieved a vertical jump of 3.4 meters, exceeding a human record set in 1993, according to the Global Times. The company’s robots improved their sprint time by over 12 seconds in one year, going from 21.5 seconds last year to 8.64 seconds this year.
Karen Liu, a computer scientist at Stanford University, explained that while tasks like backflips are relatively easy for humanoids, everyday activities such as folding laundry are far more challenging. The games expanded this year to include “scenario-based events” like shelving books and making beds, with robots completing tasks independently receiving higher scores than those remotely operated by humans.
Cheng Hao, chief executive of Booster Robotics, stated the games are “not simply a competition, but an important real-world testing ground for embodied intelligence.” Aya Durbin, who directs development of the Atlas humanoid robot at Boston Dynamics, emphasized the need for humanoids to solve real-world problems to become integrated into daily life, stating, “Humanoids won’t become a part of our everyday lives if they’re always ‘toys’. They need to be used to solve actual problems and make the world a better place.”
The competition drew over 600 teams, primarily from Chinese universities, research institutions, and robotics companies.
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