The second World Humanoid Robot Games, currently underway at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, has become an important window into the development of the global humanoid robotics industry.

This year's event has drawn 666 teams from 16 countries across six continents, with more than 2,000 robots competing. The number of participating teams has increased by 138% from the previous edition, while the number of robots has quadrupled.

So, what exactly do humanoid robots compete in – and what can these events tell us about how fast the technology is advancing?

Faster than ever

One of the clearest improvements this year is speed.

On Sunday afternoon, the first gold medal of the Games was decided in the 400-meter race for the large-sized group. The winning robot clocked 38.15 seconds, a dramatic improvement over last year's winning time of 1 minute and 28.03 seconds in the event's inaugural edition.

In the small-sized group's 400-meter final, a robot that won gold in 45.66 seconds went viral online for its unusual running posture – which many described as looking like a "shy run."

But according to Han Gang, a motion control algorithm expert at the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the posture was not designed to look cute. It was learned and developed by the robot itself – because it helps it run faster.

Han explained that rapid arm swings can place a heavy load on a robot's shoulders and create a risk of overheating. Through autonomous learning, the robot developed a more efficient running style: lowering its center of gravity, reducing arm movement and shifting its body weight forward.

The result is an unconventional-looking but faster way of running.

A test of both speed and endurance

Later on Sunday, a robot won the 1,500-meter final with a time of 2 minutes and 21.63 seconds – significantly faster than the men's human world record of 3 minutes and 26 seconds.

Racing events have long been among the most closely watched competitions at the humanoid robot games, and the 1,500 meters presents a particularly demanding challenge.

A robot needs the explosive power required for the 100- and 400-meter events, while also maintaining the endurance and battery life needed for a much longer race.

High-speed turns place even greater demands on the robot's structural components and its ability to coordinate the movement of its entire body.

For many participating teams, the competition is about much more than winning medals. It provides an opportunity to exchange technologies, benchmark against competitors and test robots under real-world conditions.

And ultimately, that could help push humanoid robotics beyond demonstrations and toward larger-scale commercial applications.