Highlights as the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing

The second World Humanoid Robot Games officially opened on Saturday evening at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, once again putting the Chinese capital in the global spotlight as it hosts a major event at the intersection of technology and sports.

The five-day event has brought together 666 teams from 16 countries across six continents, with 2,056 robots set to compete in 51 events. At the opening ceremony, themed "Intelligence Competing Toward the Future," more than 1,000 humanoid robots gathered at the venue to showcase cutting-edge technologies, offering a glimpse into how humanoid robots are moving beyond laboratories and increasingly entering real-world production and everyday life while opening up new possibilities for human-robot coexistence.

The opening ceremony also featured a special parade of participating teams, with multiple robot formations performing highly synchronized routines, including coordinated formation changes and a series of challenging stunts.

A Chinese humanoid robot also set a new benchmark in the standing high jump, clearing 2.88 meters. The feat came during a demonstration ahead of the opening ceremony and surpassed the best recorded standing high jump by a human athlete, which stands at 2.45 meters.

The ceremony also featured a musical performance bringing humanoid robots and human musicians together. In the opening sequence, titled "Melody of the Future," 36 humanoid robots used human-like five-finger dexterous hands to play instruments, including electronic wind instruments, pianos and marimbas, performing alongside human musicians.

In another highlight ahead of the opening ceremony, a Chinese humanoid robot clocked 9.39 seconds in a 100-meter preliminary heat, surpassing the 9.58-second world record set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The performance also broke the previous record set at the first World Humanoid Robot Games.

(Cover via the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games shows humans and humanoid robots dancing together at the opening ceremony.)