The World Robot Conference (WRC) 2026 opened in Beijing on Wednesday for five days. According to the organisers, more than 300 companies are taking part this year, a 69% increase on the previous edition. The show lists more than 3,000 exhibits, over 300 of them on display for the first time.
This year’s theme is “Human-robot symbiosis, production-demand convergence”. The programme includes a main forum, exhibitions and more than 70 activities, backed by 30 international organisations. Four exhibition areas bring together humanoid robot manufacturers and their supply chain across several application areas: manufacturing, catering and retail, healthcare and elderly care, and emergency rescue.
For the first time, the show has also opened a “consumer street” where visitors can try services, food and creations provided by robots, which until now were confined to the stands.
Tiangong Omni humanoid robot makes its first appearance
The Tiangong Omni, a humanoid standing 1.35 metres tall and weighing 39 kilos, made its debut at the event. During the demonstration it climbed plum-blossom piles and stairs, crawled and printed documents. The organisers present this as a showcase of its motion control and its ability to adapt to its environment.
In another challenge, a robot took on a human player at air hockey. According to the presentation, it relies on visual recognition and reinforcement learning to track the puck, anticipate its trajectory and react quickly, with the system becoming more accurate as training goes on. A volunteer robot handing out sweets also drew attention: it picks up the treats, holds them out to visitors and adjusts its movement in real time when a hand pulls away.
4-metre humanoid robot built for high-risk tasks
Among the new products, a 4-metre humanoid combines digital hydraulic technology with electric motors. According to the presentation, it is designed to handle loads ranging from the kilogram level to the thousand-tonne level, and targets demanding missions such as nuclear power plant maintenance, deep-water operations and heavy-load transport.
Robot dogs were also on show for hazardous environments, including mines. Fitted with LiDAR (laser ranging), infrared cameras and gas sensors, they enter hard-to-reach areas to collect data and support safety decisions. “For example, in a mined-out void where collapses can occur, robot dogs can go in, capture images, transmit three-dimensional data and build models of the space,” said exhibitor Zhang Yong. He added that the robots can also automatically deploy communication nodes in areas without network coverage.