BEIJING: Beijing will host the second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Championships this August, with organizers revealing that the event will see a fourfold increase in robot participation compared to its debut last year.
Set for August 22 to 26, the international competition has drawn an impressive lineup of 666 teams and 2,056 robots from 16 nations, according to Jiang Guangzhi, head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.
Competitors hail from leading robotics nations including the United States, Germany, and Japan. Notably, Brazil has assembled a national team featuring five RoboCup squads to compete, Jiang added.
On the domestic front, 641 teams representing 157 companies, along with 200 universities and research institutions, will showcase nearly 2,000 robots. This extensive roster features some of China’s top robotics companies and prestigious universities.
The event will feature over 30 different competitions, with new categories such as long jump, weightlifting, tug-of-war, and table tennis, aiming to evaluate robots’ agility, structural design, and core hardware capabilities.
In addition to sports-based contests, scenario simulations will test robots’ practical abilities in environments such as factories, hotels, homes, and logistics hubs. Tasks like assembly, cleaning, emergency rescue, and book sorting will assess their performance in complex, real-world situations.
Jiang emphasized that many of the competition’s rules could influence future industry standards, helping to translate recent technological breakthroughs into practical applications.
“Mastering these ‘last meter’ skills will enable robots to transform medals into business opportunities, moving seamlessly from competition to real-world deployment,” Jiang remarked.
The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Championships in August 2025 featured 280 teams and just over 500 humanoid robots from 16 countries, marking a significant growth for this international event.
