China is hosting the World Humanoid Robot Games this Thursday.
Sixteen countries, including Japan, sent their elite humanoid robots to Beijing for a major international event. Organized by the municipality and its partners, the event illustrates China's ambition to elevate its national robotics to the top of the world stage by 2027.
During the opening ceremony, machines designed by companies and universities paraded by, before a Beijing robot stepped forward and proclaimed: "We compete for the future, guided by wisdom, human will and the power of science and technology . "
The first matches offered images that were both spectacular and comical: unexpected tackles and cascading falls, which provoked bursts of laughter in the stands, particularly during the football matches.
More than five hundred robots will compete in twenty-six disciplines, from athletics to martial arts, including dance.
Between technical feats and spectacular demonstrations, these still somewhat clumsy machines could soon transform the future of many industrial and educational sectors.
