Latest news with #NationalSpeedSkatingOval
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Photos of Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games Show How a Human Touch Is Still Needed
Humanoid robots raced and punched their way through three days of a multi-sport competition at the World Humanoid Robot Games, wrapping up Sunday in Beijing. But they also toppled, crashed and collapsed, requiring humans' help and leading to questions about how far, after all, the robots can go on their own. The games featured more than 500 humanoids on 280 teams from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan, that competed in sports such as soccer, running and boxing at the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The event comes as China has stepped up efforts to develop humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence. Robots were often seen close to their operators, whether they were controlled remotely, held, lifted, sorted or separated. Batteries needed replacing and limbs tuned. Although the robots showed off some impressive moves, some tripped and human intervention was never far from the field. One had to be carried out by two people, like an injured athlete, in a display of the limitations the machines are still facing. Their effect on the audience, however, was not unlike that of real athletes. Cheers erupted when a robot landed a punch, scored a goal, or won a game, showing that viewers were genuinely invested in the machines' endeavors. AI-powered robots are expected to be increasingly used in industrial settings.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Photos of Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games show how a human touch is still needed
Humanoid robots raced and punched their way through three days of a multi-sport competition at the World Humanoid Robot Games, wrapping up Sunday in Beijing. But they also toppled, crashed and collapsed, requiring humans' help and leading to questions about how far, after all, the robots can go on their own. The games featured more than 500 humanoids on 280 teams from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan, that competed in sports such as soccer, running and boxing at the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The event comes as China has stepped up efforts to develop humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence. Robots were often seen close to their operators, whether they were controlled remotely, held, lifted, sorted or separated. Batteries needed replacing and limbs tuned. Although the robots showed off some impressive moves, some tripped and human intervention was never far from the field. One had to be carried out by two people, like an injured athlete, in a display of the limitations the machines are still facing. Their effect on the audience, however, was not unlike that of real athletes. Cheers erupted when a robot landed a punch, scored a goal, or won a game, showing that viewers were genuinely invested in the machines' endeavors. AI-powered robots are expected to be increasingly used in industrial settings.
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Photos of Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games show how a human touch is still needed
BEIJING (AP) — Humanoid robots raced and punched their way through three days of a multi-sport competition at the World Humanoid Robot Games, wrapping up Sunday in Beijing. But they also toppled, crashed and collapsed, requiring humans' help and leading to questions about how far, after all, the robots can go on their own. The games featured more than 500 humanoids on 280 teams from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan, that competed in sports such as soccer, running and boxing at the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The event comes as China has stepped up efforts to develop humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence. Robots were often seen close to their operators, whether they were controlled remotely, held, lifted, sorted or separated. Batteries needed replacing and limbs tuned. Although the robots showed off some impressive moves, some tripped and human intervention was never far from the field. One had to be carried out by two people, like an injured athlete, in a display of the limitations the machines are still facing. Their effect on the audience, however, was not unlike that of real athletes. Cheers erupted when a robot landed a punch, scored a goal, or won a game, showing that viewers were genuinely invested in the machines' endeavors. AI-powered robots are expected to be increasingly used in industrial settings.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Football and falls as first humanoid robot games launch in China
The first World Humanoid Robot Games began on Friday in Beijing with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-metre hurdles to kung fu. Hundreds of robotics teams from 16 countries are going for gold at the Chinese capital's National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Events include traditional sports like athletics and basketball, as well as practical tasks such as medicine categorisation and cleaning. "I believe in the next 10 years or so robots will be basically at the same level as humans," enthusiastic 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan told AFP. Human athletes might not be quaking in their boots just yet. At one of the first events on Friday, five-a-side football, 10 robots the size of seven-year-olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse. However, in a 1500m race, domestic champion Unitree's humanoid stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing rivals. The fastest robot AFP witnessed finished in 6min 29.37sec, a far cry from the human men's world record of 3:26.00. One mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator. The robot remained standing while the human was knocked flat, though did not appear to be injured. - 'National strategy' - Robot competitions have been held for decades, but the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games is the first to focus specifically on robots that resemble human bodies, organisers said. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics hoping to lead the industry. Beijing has put humanoids in the "centre of their national strategy", the International Federation of Robotics wrote in a paper on Thursday. "The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology," it added. Joost Weerheim, an operator with a Dutch five-a-side robot football team, told AFP he was impressed. "I think right now if they are not already the world leader, they are very, very quickly becoming it," he said. Domestically, authorities are working to raise awareness of the sector across society. Cui Han, accompanying her 10-year-old, told AFP that her son's school had organised and paid for the trip to the Games. "I hope it will encourage him to learn more about these new technologies," she said. In March, China announced plans for a one-trillion-yuan fund ($139 billion) to support technology startups, including those in robotics and AI. The country is already the world's largest market for industrial robots, official statistics show, and in April Beijing held what organisers dubbed the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon. Chen, the 18-year-old, told AFP he was about to begin studying automation at university. "Coming here can cultivate my passion for this field," he said. "My favourite is the boxing because... it requires a lot of agility and I can really see how the robots have improved from before." At the kung fu competition area, a pint-sized robot resembling one from the popular Transformer series attempted to execute a move, but fell flat on its front. It spun around on the floor as it struggled to get back up, the crowd happily cheering. bur-reb/pst
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Watch: Humanoids play football, boxing at world's first robot games in China
The first World Humanoid Robot Games began on Friday in Beijing with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-metre hurdles to kung fu. Hundreds of robotics teams from 16 countries are going for gold at the Chinese capital's National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Events include traditional sports like athletics and basketball, as well as practical tasks such as medicine categorisation and cleaning. "I believe in the next 10 years or so robots will be basically at the same level as humans," enthusiastic 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan said. Human athletes might not be quaking in their boots just yet. At one of the first events on Friday, five-a-side football, 10 robots the size of seven-year-olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse. However, in a 1500m race, domestic champion Unitree 's humanoid stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing rivals. The fastest robot AFP witnessed finished in 6min 29.37sec, a far cry from the human men's world record of 3:26.00. One mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator. The robot remained standing while the human was knocked flat, though did not appear to be injured. National strategy Robot competitions have been held for decades, but the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games is the first to focus specifically on robots that resemble human bodies, organisers said. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics hoping to lead the industry. Beijing has put humanoids in the "centre of their national strategy", the International Federation of Robotics wrote in a paper on Thursday. "The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology," it added. Joost Weerheim, an operator with a Dutch five-a-side robot football team, told AFP he was impressed. "I think right now if they are not already the world leader, they are very, very quickly becoming it," he said. In March, China announced plans for a one-trillion-yuan fund ($139 billion) to support technology startups, including those in robotics and AI. The country is already the world's largest market for industrial robots, official statistics show, and in April Beijing held what organisers dubbed the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon. At the kung fu competition area, a pint-sized robot resembling one from the popular Transformer series attempted to execute a move, but fell flat on its front. It spun around on the floor as it struggled to get back up, the crowd happily cheering.
