Humanoid robots take on tea challenge in Fujian

In the heartland of white tea in China, the first real-world challenge of the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games kicks off.

On May 10, the first leg of the "Energy Transfer" relay for the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games officially began – not on a race track, but among the tea mountains of Fuding, Fujian Province, home to China's finest white tea. 

Over one week, multiple humanoid robot teams worked side by side with local tea masters. The mission? Have a robot experience the entire white tea production process – from identifying and picking leaves to carrying loads over rough terrain, carefully spreading leaves for sun-drying, and finally participating in roasting and pressing tea cakes. 

This was no lab demo. It was a real-world field test deep in Fuding's tea-growing region. Every step collected authentic data for general-purpose AI: uneven hillsides tested mobility, subtle differences in tea leaves challenged visual recognition, and gentle plucking actions pushed the limits of dexterous hands. These are problems you never see in a factory – but exactly the kind of "required courses" for making humanoid robots truly useful in everyday life.

As the world's first comprehensive sports event centered on humanoid robots, the World Humanoid Robot Games uses the "Energy Transfer" initiative to plant cutting-edge technology into real cultural and production environments. By forcing robots to tackle real tasks, the initiative accelerates the iterative process, showcasing the service potential of humanoid robots and fast-forwarding their integration into our daily work and lives.