A Hilarious Moment at the World Humanoid Robot Games
At the World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG) in Beijing, a black and white robot made headlines for all the wrong reasons. During the weightlifting final, the machine attempted to lift a weight but ultimately collapsed onto the judges’ table. The incident was captured on camera and quickly became a viral sensation.
The robot, one of many competing in the event’s various disciplines, was seen attempting to grip and lift a weight with both hands over its head. As it brought the weight above its head, it began to shake and eventually dropped the weight to the floor. It then malfunctioned, stumbled toward a table of judges, and collapsed.
In the moments following the fall, a group of staff clad in red vests rushed to assist the robot and carefully transported it onto a stretcher. Officials then halted the competition and declared the attempt over.
Other Dramas at the Competition
This wasn’t the only drama at the event. The games also featured events such as boxing, high-jump, Thai Chi, and table tennis. One robot even surpassed legend Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint world record by completing the distance in 9.39 seconds, beating the human world record set by the Jamaican sprinting great who ran it in 9.58 seconds.
Elsewhere, another robot performed Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘Siuuu’ celebration on the football pitch, while a group of droids participated in a synchronized march at the opening ceremony. Over 2,000 robots gathered for the event on its opening day, with teams from 16 countries across six continents taking part in the 1,301 matches.
Events and Competitions
The games include competitions modeled on human sports as well as task-based events that require fully autonomous robots. Out of the 50 events scheduled, 30 are sports competitions, including weightlifting, gymnastics, football, and even a tug of war. There are also 11 Olympic-style track and field events.
The remaining 20 events are work scenario tasks, involving dextrous hand challenges such as bricklaying, power tool assembling, and package handling. These tasks serve as an opportunity to showcase where humanoid robots will first be commercially used.
However, no events in the 2026 edition of the games will include stairs, ladders, uneven terrain, or human-robot collaborations.
Record-Breaking Robots
Recent advancements in automation technology in China have led to robots breaking human records. Chinese scientists developed a droid they claim can outrun Usain Bolt. The prototype, nicknamed ‘Superman,’ reached speeds of 12.66m per second (28.3mph), surpassing Bolt’s 12.42m per second (27.78mph) when he set the world record in 2009.
The robot, designed by Unitree, a Hangzhou-based robotics company, is not just smashing sprinting records. It also jumped an impressive two meters vertically into the air from a standing position, beating the current human world record of 1.7m (5ft 7in) set by Christopher Spell in 2021.
Challenges and Setbacks
Despite these achievements, other robots still face challenges. Another robot participating in a humanoid half-marathon event tripped and smashed into pieces during a training session. The incident occurred during a rehearsal for the world’s first humanoid half-marathon event, held in Beijing’s E-Town Economic and Technological Development Area.
More than 70 teams took part in the practice round, which simulated every aspect of the real event. After tripping, the machine smashed to smithereens, with pieces of its bodywork flying into the air.
Growing Influence of Robotics in China
In recent years, the advancements in automation technology in China, including robot development, have evolved into an area of international competition, raising national security concerns. Beijing’s latest five-year plan aims to target the frontiers of science and technology, including speeding up the development of products like humanoid robots.
A report by Omdia, a London-based technology research and advisory group, recently ranked three Chinese companies – AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics, and UBTech Robotics Corp – as the only first-tier vendors in its global assessment for shipment numbers for general-purpose embodied intelligent robots. Each company shipped more than 1,000 units of the robot last year, with the first two companies shipping more than 5,000 units.
