China’s Robot Games in Beijing showcased rapid advances in humanoid robotics, alongside frequent failures that illustrated the limits of current systems. The event matters because, beyond entertainment and headline-grabbing athletic performances, it is being used to test hardware and software needed for robots to work in practical settings.

More than 600 teams brought over 2,000 robots, with participants from China and 15 other countries. Tiangong Ultra ran 100 metres in 8.86 seconds and won the long jump at 7.97 metres, while Honor’s Lightning ran 100 metres in 9.47 seconds; both sprint times were faster than Usain Bolt’s human world record. Researchers say tasks such as plugging in cables and placing rubbish in bins are more significant but harder, because reliable object manipulation requires robots to handle unpredictable friction, slippage and changing environments.