World’s first humanoid robotic video games start in China – DW – 08/15/2025

More than 500 humanoid robots in 280 groups from 16 nations are competing in 26 occasions starting from soccer and boxing to sorting medication and cleansing up on the first World Humanoid Robot Games.

Three days of competitions started in Beijing, China, on Thursday night because the nation steps up efforts to develop robots powered by synthetic intelligence.

Winning is not the whole lot

“We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research,” stated Max Polter, a member of the HTWK Robots soccer staff from Germany, affiliated with Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, instructed Reuters information company.

“You can test a lot of interesting, new and exciting approaches in this contest. If we try something and it doesn’t work, we lose the game,” Polter stated. “That’s sad, but it is better than investing a lot of money into a product that fails.”

Not approaching human report … but?

The robots crashed into one another and toppled over repeatedly throughout soccer matches, whereas one other fell over mid-sprint throughout operating occasions. The AFP information company reported that one of many quickest robots completed a 1,500-meter race in 6:29:37 — properly off the present human report of three:26:00.

At the kung fu competitors, a child-sized robotic resembling one from the favored Transformer collection tried an advanced transfer solely to fall on its face and spin on the ground in an try to get again up. The crowd, nevertheless, cheered fortunately.

China’s concentrate on robotics and AI

Chinese officers made humanoids the “center of their national strategy,” the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) wrote in a paper published Thursday. 

“The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology,” it added.

In March, China introduced plans for a one-trillion-yuan fund (€119 billion, $139 billion) to help know-how startups, together with these in robotics and AI.

Joost Weerheim, a part of the Dutch five-a-side robotic soccer staff, instructed AFP he was impressed by the talent of China’s groups.

“I think right now if they are not already the world leader, they are very, very quickly becoming it,” he stated.

Robotic video games at Olympic venue

Tickets to the humanoid video games at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, constructed for the 2022 Winter Olympics, vary from 180 yuan (about €22, $25) to 580 yuan (about €69, $80).

China has staged a number of robotics occasions in current months, together with what it known as the world’sfirst humanoid robotic marathon, a robotic convention and the opening of retail shops devoted to humanoid robots.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse