The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games opened Saturday at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval — the 'Ice Ribbon' — marking the largest competition of its kind ever staged.

The event features 2,056 robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries, nearly quadrupling the 500+ robots that competed at the inaugural Games in 2025. Organizers say the explosive growth reflects both advancing humanoid capability and intensifying global investment in embodied AI.

Over the five-day competition (August 22–26), robots will compete in more than 30 events ranging from traditional sports — table tennis, tug of war, sprinting — to real-world autonomy challenges such as object manipulation, obstacle navigation, and collaborative task execution.

A highlight ahead of the opening: footage of a humanoid robot sprinting at high speed during training went viral on social media, underscoring how far locomotion performance has advanced in just one year. The 2025 Games saw robots struggle with basic walking stability; this year's entrants are attempting full-speed running.

The Games are jointly organized by the Beijing municipal government and serve as both a public spectacle and an industry benchmark. Teams from major Chinese robotics firms — including Unitree, Fourier Intelligence, and Xiaomi's CyberDog subsidiary — compete alongside university labs and startups from the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Beyond the competitions, the event functions as a real-world stress test for humanoid platforms heading toward commercial deployment. Manufacturers use the Games to demonstrate reliability in uncontrolled environments, with judges evaluating not just performance but robustness, recovery from failures, and energy efficiency.

The scale-up mirrors broader momentum in the humanoid robotics sector. Global venture funding for humanoid startups surpassed $8 billion in the first half of 2026, driven by improvements in foundation models for robot control, cheaper actuator hardware, and growing demand from logistics, manufacturing, and elder-care applications.

The Games run through August 26. Ticket prices start at approximately ¥80 ($11), making it one of the most accessible major tech events in the world.

Sources