The first World Humanoid Robot Games took place in Beijing, bringing together more than 280 teams from 16 countries and over 500 humanoid robots. Over three days, participants competed in 26 events, including athletics, sports, and practical task-based challenges.
Unitree’s humanoid robot H1 achieved the best results in the 400-meter and 1,500-meter track races. In the 1,500 meters, the robot completed the course in 6 minutes 29–34 seconds, marking a performance benchmark for humanoid locomotion. While still far behind human athletic standards, the result highlights ongoing progress in robotic mobility.
Events ranged from soccer, table tennis, and boxing to task-oriented challenges such as sorting medicines and cleaning. The opening ceremony featured demonstrations of humanoids performing martial arts, music, and stage presentations, illustrating a broad range of applications beyond competitive sports.
The Games form part of efforts in China to advance humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence. Authorities have allocated more than 20 billion US dollars in subsidies to the sector, with additional plans for a 1 trillion yuan (approximately 137 billion US dollars) fund to support AI and robotics startups. Organizers and participants emphasized the event’s role in testing current technologies, collecting data, and identifying areas for improvement.
The next World Humanoid Robot Games are scheduled to be held in Beijing in 2026. Teams are expected to build on this year’s experiences to further develop humanoid robots’ capabilities in both athletic and practical tasks.
