Come for the funny videos, stay for the insight into the future of automation. While it’s only in its second year, China’s World Humanoid Robot Games are quickly becoming one of my favorite global tech events.
Sure, the clips of robots running into walls are incredible content, but the Olympics-style tournament in Beijing also offers an unvarnished look at the latest innovations in China’s humanoid industry — a public benchmark testing. Early clips from the event appear to showcase advances in the speed at which robots can now run. The bots will also be tested on trickier and more dextrous household and workplace tasks.
The flashy nature of China’s robotics scene is often derided by Western rivals, who argue they are building smarter tech to unlock the economy of the future, rather than preprogrammed dances or running. They have a point, but it hasn’t stopped investors from pouring into Chinese bots: Unitree Robotics’ stock soared in the company’s Shanghai IPO this week. The next challenge will be translating the hype that’s on display in Beijing into broader use by the public and businesses.