RismadarVoice Reporters, August 23, 2026
Humanoid robots have taken centre stage at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, with machines demonstrating remarkable speed while being tested on practical tasks designed to assess their ability to work alongside humans.
Two robots reportedly ran the 100-metre sprint faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record, while another completed the 400 metres in 39.7 seconds, beating Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.03-second record.
The five-day competition features 51 events, including sports such as sprinting, weightlifting, tug-of-war and tennis, as well as practical challenges involving factory work, restaurant operations, emergency response and electric-vehicle charging.
Organisers say more than 40 per cent of the events require robots to operate fully autonomously.
However, experts say the real test goes beyond speed and athletic performance. Robots must also demonstrate their ability to perform delicate tasks such as connecting cables, handling packages, positioning objects accurately and recovering from mistakes without human assistance.
The games are being closely watched as China continues to expand its humanoid robotics industry, with companies hoping to demonstrate that the technology can move beyond impressive demonstrations to solving real-world industrial and workplace problems.
