Speed and Falling Techniques, All Part of the Learning Data: The World's First "Robot Olympics" - A Three-Day Reality

The world's first "Humanoid Robot Competition" was held in Beijing, China, from August 15 to 17, featuring 280 teams from 16 countries and over 500 robots competing in events ranging from track and field, soccer, and boxing to practical tasks like drug sorting and cleaning. The venue was the National Speed Skating Oval, a site from the Beijing Winter Olympics. The competitions were marked by both spectacle and frequent falls and collisions, eliciting laughter and gasps from the audience. Among the participants, Unitree's H1 stood out by completing the 1500m race in just over 6 minutes, and Chinese teams (Unitree, X-Humanoid) dominated the overall medal tally. However, many robots still relied on remote control, revealing a gap towards full autonomy. The organizers emphasized that these failures provide essential data for research, which could lead to industrial applications such as factory and collaborative work. China, backed by massive investments, has positioned "Embodied AI" as a national strategy, with the next competition scheduled to be held in Beijing in 2026.