Chinese humanoid robots are moving beyond headline-grabbing speed records to tackle real-world challenges that test their autonomy, dexterity and ability to handle unpredictable tasks.
After setting new 100-metre speed records and beating Usain Bolt, Chinese humanoid robots are now up for challenges that are far more mundane. The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games, which began Saturday in Beijing, combine various events and challenges that put robots through tests in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and emergency situations, and the upcoming tests reflect that.
These games feature 51 events, including 30 sports competitions and 21 scenario-based contests. Of the total challenges, more than 40%, or 21 contests, require robots to operate fully autonomously.
Until now, two robots have run faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record in the 100-metre sprint. This was a sharp improvement from 2025, when the winning robot’s time was 20 seconds. While the robots sprinted in fine fashion, they had trouble stopping and expecting a similar issue, the organisers had placed thick mats several metres ahead of the finish line.
Robots will go on to compete in challenges such as weightlifting, Tai Chi and pitch pot.
Challenges that test dexterity
Beyond the tests that lead to spectacles, more revealing tests could come in the form of simple challenges that require dexterity. These may involve small imperfections in the physical world, such as a cable placed at the wrong angle, an object just out of reach, a shifting package or a missed step.
The tests would rate the robots based on whether they can accurately position their hands and bodies, apply controlled force and recover from errors without any human intervention. The humanoid robots would also compete in tests designed to evaluate tasks such as EV charging, restaurant work, industrial assembly and material loading.
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A cable-connection challenge, for example, is a test of vision, mechanical alignment and force control. A complete evaluation would reveal variants fit for everyday applicability.
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