China's humanoid robots stumble, catch fire and set new records at Beijing Games

The second World Humanoid Robot Games concluded this week in Beijing after five days of competition at a former Olympic speed-skating venue. The event mixed genuine progress with plenty of chaos: one robot lost a leg mid-sprint, another burst into flames after colliding with a crash mat, and a third toppled into the judges' table while attempting to lift a barbell.

Despite the mishaps, the games highlighted real advances in robotics. One humanoid completed the 100-meter sprint in 9.39 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's 2009 world record, while another reached a standing high jump of 2.88 meters — nearly half a meter above the human record set in 1993. That marks a sharp improvement from last year's inaugural games, where the winning sprint time was a sluggish 21.50 seconds and the top jump only 0.95 meters.

Everyday tasks prove harder

Alongside familiar sports like sprinting, football, boxing and weightlifting, robots also competed in less conventional events such as bed-making, parcel delivery, shelf stacking, clothes folding, nail hammering and even firefighting. These tasks reflect the games' underlying purpose: pushing robots out of the lab and into messier, real-world settings. Some events required full autonomy, while others permitted human teleoperation at the cost of a scoring penalty.

Chinese teams dominate

Of 666 teams entered, 641 were from China, representing 157 companies and 200 universities, according to state-run China Daily. Companies AgiBot and Tien Kung led the medal table by a wide margin. Major US humanoid robot makers, including Tesla, Boston Dynamics and Figure, were notably absent.

Beijing has not yet confirmed a third edition of the games, but a humanoid half-marathon is already scheduled for April, and China plans to open its first robot-staffed hotel next year.