The first edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games got underway in Beijing on Thursday, showcasing the cutting-edge achievements of humanoid robots in intelligent decision-making and collaborative movement.

The competition will see 280 teams from 16 countries and regions – including the USA, Germany, and Italy – match up from Friday to Sunday at China's National Speed Skating Oval. Participants will take part in 26 event categories and 538 competitions, spanning athletic challenges such as running, long jumping, free exercises, and football, as well as skills-based tasks like moving materials, sorting medications, and cleaning spaces.

According to Li Yechuan from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, the event draws on the formats of human competitive sports to put the latest advancements and application capabilities in humanoid robots through an "extreme test."

"We hope to truly advance humanoid robots from the laboratory into real-world applications in factories, hospitals, homes, and other scenarios. This is a crucial step toward achieving large-scale production," said Li Zhiqi from the Beijing Municipal Government Counsellors' Office.

The event follows the 2025 World Robot Conference, which opened on August 8 under the theme of "Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent."

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)