Football, Athletics, and Kickboxing: Robots Compete in the Arena

Kokcha News Agency – The World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG), the world’s first large-scale humanoid robot competition, concluded in China. The event, which began on August 15, featured humanoid robots competing in sports, performance, and practical application scenarios.

On the final day of the games, the 4×100 relay race, 3v3 and 5v5 football matches, and kickboxing finals took place. Beyond sports, the robots also demonstrated their skills in practical scenario-based competitions. These included a hotel scenario where robots carried wheeled luggage from the reception to rooms and a hospital scenario where robots located and collected prescribed medications from shelves.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, China Media Group, the World Robotics Cooperation Organization, and RoboCup Asia-Pacific. It attracted 280 teams from 15 countries, including the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Malaysia.

Over 500 humanoid robots developed by robotics companies, universities, research institutes, robot clubs, and enthusiasts participated in the games. The event aimed to showcase advancements in humanoid robot technology through practical applications. Robots competed in sports such as athletics, gymnastics, football, and kickboxing, as well as in performance and scenario-based categories.

In the performance category, solo and group dance performances were held, while the scenario-based category featured competitions focused on material handling, classification, and organizational skills.