The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Competition has officially kicked off in China's capital, Beijing. The international competition features 666 teams from 16 countries. The grand opening ceremony of the competition was held at the "Ice Ribbon" winter sports stadium in Beijing.

At the competition, which will run until August 26, more than 2,000 robots are showcasing their capabilities across various fields. The competition program includes a total of 51 types of events related to sports, production, and service sectors.

Robots are competing in sports categories, including team games and running across various distances. In the manufacturing sector, their industrial application capabilities are being tested. In the service sector, the skills of robots are evaluated in areas such as hotel and restaurant services.

Under the slogan "Smart Competition — to the Future," about 1.3 thousand competitions are expected to take place as part of the event.

Before the opening ceremony, spectators watched a robot football match on a special pitch. Following the ceremony, robots performed in 100-meter and 400-meter running events, demonstrating their potential in movement and speed.

New sports categories were also added to this year's competition program. Specifically, long-distance running, weightlifting, and table tennis made their debut in the 2026 competition program.

The competition is jointly organized by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, China Media Group, the World Organization for Robot Cooperation, and the International Council of the World Robot Contest in the Asia-Pacific region.

The main purpose of the competition is not only to test the technical capabilities of robots of various types and from different manufacturers, but also to promote the wider adoption of robotic technologies in production and people's daily lives.

The 1st World Humanoid Robot Competition was held from August 15 to 17, 2025, in Beijing. It was attended by 280 teams from 16 countries, with nearly 500 robots showcasing their capabilities. Representatives from countries such as Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, the USA, and Japan also participated in that competition.

The expansion of this year's competition scale demonstrates that the robotics field is developing rapidly, and the application potential of humanoid robots is growing not only on experimental platforms, but also in sports, manufacturing, and the service industry.