Latest news with #WorldRobotGames
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Science
- LeMonde
China's robotics industry surges amid promise of a $5 trillion market
A gentle frenzy swept through the annual World Robot Conference, held from Friday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 12, in Beijing, just ahead of the World Robot Games, taking place from Friday, August 15, to Sunday, August 17, inside Beijing's National Stadium, which hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. As officials in shirt sleeves and black trousers strolled solemnly between the booths, hordes of schoolchildren in matching colors rushed toward the attractions. Here, a humanoid robot took penalty shots. Over there, two others faced off in a boxing match. Nearby, a hip-hop battle paired robots with professional dancers. Further on, LimX showcased its scale model of the AT-ST, the mechanical "chicken walker" from Star Wars. Called Tron 1, it sprang back up after every time the presenter kicked it. Its designers currently envision it for "industrial exploration, education, training and academic research." Beyond entertainment, this major annual fair provides Chinese robotics players a rare platform to attract public and private investors, potential customers and young talent. In just a few years – and thanks to the Made in China 2025 plan, launched in 2015 to turn China into a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse – the nation's robotics industry has become one of the world's most dynamic.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Watch as bungling bots compete in first World Robot Games – & show humanoids aren't ready for world domination just yet
It comes after the first ever robot marathon earlier this year METAL WINNERS Watch as bungling bots compete in first World Robot Games – & show humanoids aren't ready for world domination just yet THE first ever robot Olympics have kicked off - with footage of the bungling droids showing they might not be ready for world domination just yet. The three-day event, which takes place in China, will see robots with 280 teams from 16 different countries battle it out over a range of sporting events. 9 Humanoid robots play soccer during the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games Credit: EPA 9 280 teams took part from 16 countries Credit: Getty Advertisement 9 Shocking footage showed the bungling bots attempt to play football 9 One of the bots fell over during a race The AI bots are set to go head-to-head in a range of competitions such as football, track and field, boxing and table tennis. Robot-specific games are also set to take place - with contests ranging from sorting medicines to handling materials to cleaning services. Advertisement But human athletes can rest easy - footage of the games show there are a few defects which need to be ironed out. At one of the first events a five–aside football match, 10 robots the size of seven–year–olds waddled around, frequently knocking each other over. Mind-boggling footage showed the small bots step around the pitch, with one seen slowly knocking one into the back of the net. Over in athletics, one robo-racer barrelled straight into a human operator who was knocked to the ground. Advertisement Footage also showed one racing humanoid near the finish line on a race - before tripping up at the last moment. Participating robots are representing countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, among others. There are 192 universities taking part in the groundbreaking competition. Kicking off in the Chinese capital, the games include a whopping 500 androids. Inside chilling sex robot factory in China pumping out legions of next-gen AI-powered $3,000 'love dolls' for lonely men And although some were laughed at with sudden tumbles and jerky movement, some of the bots showed real strength. Advertisement HTWK Robots football team member Max Polter, affiliated with Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, said: "We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research. "You can test a lot of interesting new and exciting approaches in this contest." He added: "If we try something and it doesn't work, we lose the game. "That's sad but it is better than investing a lot of money into a product which failed." Spectators at the games paid anywhere between $17.83 and $80.77 for tickets. Advertisement 9 Humanoid robots compete in the kickboxing event on day one of the games Credit: Getty 9 Robots compete in the 400m event Credit: Getty 9 A humanoid robot wearing boxing gloves is seen celebrating Credit: EPA In a 1,500–metre race, domestic champion Unitree's humanoid runners effortlessly outpaced their rivals. The fastest robot finished in 6:29:37, AFP reported. Advertisement For comparison, the fastest human record for the same race is 3:26:00. Beijing's city government is one of the big backers of the games - a symbol of how much China are investing into robots and AI. The push comes as the country faces an ageing population and slowing growth. China has been rolling out headline-grabbing robot events, including the world's first humanoid marathon in Beijing earlier this year. The historic competitive race between man and bot saw 21 humanoid robots race alongside 12,000 runners around the 13-mile course. Advertisement Organisers said the new games provide valuable data collection opportunities for developing robots for practical applications such as factory work. Football matches can help train robots' coordination abilities, which could prove useful for automated assembly line operations in factories, analysts said. 9 The bots were seen bungling around the pitch Credit: Reuters
