The second World Humanoid Robot Games ended on 26 August at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, nicknamed the “Ice Ribbon”, according to the Guangming Daily. The programme included athletics races, where several teams set records, and nine events modelled on practical uses, from household chores and industrial operations to emergency rescue.
Humanoid robot 1,500 m record: winning time cut nearly threefold in one edition
On the track, the Tianzhuo team delivered the standout performance. On 23 August, its robot won the 1,500 m final in 2 minutes 21.64 seconds. The figure is best understood against the previous edition, where the winning time was 6 minutes 34.40 seconds. It also beats the human benchmark cited by the source, 3 minutes 26 seconds.
The other races produced these winners:
- 400 m, small group: Tiangong Omni, developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, crossed the line in 45.66 seconds.
- 100 m, large group: the Tianjiao team’s robot won in 8.64 seconds.
- 100 m, small group: the Tianxiao team took the win in 11.98 seconds.
These times remain results from robot-only competition, under conditions set by the organisers. The source does not specify how autonomous or teleoperated the machines were during the races.
Humanoid robots charging vehicles and doing office tasks
The so-called scenario events focused on useful tasks. In the “Smart Charging Service” challenge, robots had to unplug the charging connectors, start charging and then put the connectors back in place for three vehicles, all in under 30 minutes. In the “General Service” event, several robots sorted name badges, printed documents and shredded paper autonomously, according to the Guangming Daily.
Merchandise sales, mascot and robot vendors
Away from the track, the event also leaned on retail. More than 100 merchandise items were on offer, including pendants featuring the mascot “Zhibao” and “Ice Ribbon” ornaments. The venue’s souvenir shop passed 200,000 yuan in sales on its opening day, according to the source.
Outside, the “Hi FUN” leisure market set up within the complex brought together 70 stalls, 28 of them staffed by robots acting as vendors. According to the Guangming Daily, the champion robots and the most closely followed competitors of this edition are due to make pop-up appearances in several districts of the city.