Beijing is hosting an unprecedented event for robotics: games presented as the first major sporting event for humanoid robots. At the National Speed ​​Skating Oval, known as the Ice Ribbon, more than 500 androids from 280 teams representing 16 countries are competing and demonstrating their capabilities.
The Chinese capital is not just about spectacle. In parallel, it is flexing its industrial muscle with a 4S megastore of humanoid robots —Robot Mall—and with business projects ranging from customer service to assistance in healthcare settings. All of this is happening within a context where the country is placing humanoids at the heart of its technological strategy.
An unprecedented sporting debut in Beijing
The opening ceremony drew on Olympic symbolism : the ceremonial torch, the participants' oath, and a lap around the stadium. On the track, a choreographed performance by 15 Booster T1 and K1 robots gave way to a parade in which 25 androids marched autonomously, without remote control, to whet the appetite for three days of competition.
The program encompasses 26 disciplines across four categories and nearly 487 events . It includes athletics (100m, 400m, 4x100m relay, and 100m hurdles), standing long jump, and vertical high jump, as well as floor gymnastics , basketball, table tennis, and soccer under the RoboCup Asia-Pacific Beijing Masters banner. Handling and service tasks such as medication sorting and cleaning are also assessed .
The contrast between challenges illustrates the state of the art. In a futsal match , several child-sized robots moved clumsily, suffering pile-ups and chain-reaction falls. These scenes serve as a reminder that, although progress is clear, stability and coordination are still evolving areas.
In contrast, the 1.500 meters saw remarkable paces. Unitree's humanoid robots set the standard, with the best time observed being 6:29.37 . This is still a long way from the human record (3:26.00), but it shows a significant improvement in speed and locomotion autonomy.
Data, context and industrial ambition
The event, held at the Ice Ribbon (the same venue as the Winter Olympics), brings together 280 teams from 16 countries and more than 500 robots over a weekend in mid-August. China presents it as the first sporting event of its kind , aiming to showcase the leap of humanoid robotics from the laboratory to public arenas.
The enthusiasm among the young audience was palpable. Eighteen-year-olds speculated that, given the speed of technological advancements, a decade might be enough to see many humanoids performing at the expected level of functionality in everyday tasks . Alongside this expectation, there were also cautious observations about their current limitations.
This push is no accident. Authorities have placed humanoids at the heart of the national strategy, with investment plans for AI and robotics startups . China already operates the world's largest industrial robot market and recently organized a humanoid robot half marathon, steps that reinforce its commitment to public demonstrations.
In parallel, the local industry's ambition is growing to accelerate locomotion, manipulation, and multimodal AI that will allow robots to interpret the context and act more autonomously in spaces designed for humans.
From stadium to shop window: Robot Mall and the entrepreneurial race
The other major new development is located a few kilometers away in Yizhuang (Beijing E-Town). There, Robot Mall has opened , a megastore with a 4S format (sales, spare parts, service, survey) dedicated to humanoid robots. It comprises 4.000 m² distributed across four floors: immersive demonstrations on the ground floor; brain-machine interfaces and robotic arms on the second; diagnostics, component replacement, and remote operation on the third; and B2B agreements on the fourth.
The display brings together seven major categories: medical, industrial, companion, bionic, integrated, bipedal, and wheeled . Among the most striking displays: a robotic dog dressed as a lion, a humanoid dispensing traditional medicine , robotic arms that paint or prepare coffee, and machines that handle boxes in pharmacies or serve drinks.
Some models are already available for purchase or contract . Prices start at around 2.000 yuan (approximately €260) and can reach several million, depending on the platform and configuration. Services typically include installation, training, and technical support . The final "S" in the survey involves gathering customer feedback, performing remote diagnostics, and closing the loop with usage data to improve reliability and functionality.
The context is favorable: in 2024, China manufactured 556.000 industrial robots and held approximately two-thirds of all robotics patents . Yizuang already exceeds 10.000 billion yuan in annual production value, and its promoters are planning a Robot Mall 2.0 version for November 2025 with more stages and manufacturers.
The private sector is also making moves. OMODA & JAECOO has announced that it will soon be possible to interact with humanoid robots in European dealerships . Their AiMOGA project stands out for its 1,67 m height, 41 movements (12 per hand), 3D LiDAR sensors, depth cameras, ultrasonic radar, and multi-orientation microphones, as well as support in 10 languages ​​for customer service tasks.
The race is global. In the US, Tesla, Figure AI, and Boston Dynamics are making strides, while BYD, Huawei, and Xiaomi are exploring this market, taking advantage of the fact that 70% of a humanoid's components overlap with those of an electric car . Private projections predict more than a billion humanoids by 2050 , an annual growth rate of 36,2%, and a market that could reach around $43.000 billion by 2035, with models becoming more affordable on a large scale. This will create new job profiles — predictive maintenance, human-robot interaction, ethics —and will require combining efficiency with safety and data security guarantees.
From stadium to shop window: Robot Mall and the entrepreneurial race
The other major new development is located a few kilometers away in Yizhuang (Beijing E-Town). There, Robot Mall has opened , a megastore with a 4S format (sales, spare parts, service, survey) dedicated to humanoid robots. It comprises 4.000 m² distributed across four floors: immersive demonstrations on the ground floor; brain-machine interfaces and robotic arms on the second; diagnostics, component replacement, and remote operation on the third; and B2B agreements.
The context is favorable: in 2024, China manufactured 556.000 industrial robots and held a significant number of robotics patents . Yizuang already exceeds 10.000 billion yuan in annual production value, and its promoters are planning a Robot Mall 2.0 version for November 2025 with more venues and manufacturers.
The private sector is also making moves. OMODA & JAECOO has announced that it will soon be possible to interact with humanoid robots in European dealerships . Their AiMOGA project stands out for its 1,67 m height, 41 movements (12 per hand), 3D LiDAR sensors, depth cameras, ultrasonic radar, and multi-orientation microphones, as well as support in 10 languages ​​for customer service tasks.
The race is global. In the US, Tesla, Figure AI, and Boston Dynamics are making strides, while BYD, Huawei, and Xiaomi are exploring this market, taking advantage of the fact that 70% of a humanoid's components overlap with those of an electric car . Private projections predict more than a billion humanoids by 2050 , an annual growth rate of 36,2%, and a market that could reach around $43.000 billion by 2035, with models becoming more affordable on a large scale. This will create new job profiles — predictive maintenance, human-robot interaction, ethics —and will require combining efficiency with safety and data security guarantees.
The deployment in Beijing and its impact
The event, held at the Ice Ribbon (the same venue as the Winter Olympics), brings together 280 teams from 16 countries and more than 500 robots over a weekend, showcasing the state of the art in the evolution of humanoid robots. Although there is still room for improvement in agility and autonomy, the display in Beijing makes it clear that humanoid robots are preparing to move from demonstrations to everyday life, one step at a time.