Kathmandu— The second World Humanoid Robot Games opened Saturday in Beijing, showcasing advancements in robotics beyond athletic competitions to include tasks mirroring real-world jobs. The event, which ran through Wednesday, drew 666 teams and 2,056 robots from 16 countries and regions, a quadrupling of participation from its inaugural year, with competitors tackling challenges ranging from restaurant service and hotel housekeeping to factory assembly and emergency rescue. Organizers designed the competitions to assess robotic capabilities in scenarios demanding dexterity, autonomy, and adaptability, aiming to bridge the gap between technological development and commercial viability.

Expanding Competition Focus

This year’s games significantly expanded beyond purely athletic events, introducing 21 scenario-based contests simulating environments like factories, hotels, homes, and logistics facilities. These tasks were specifically chosen for their relevance to jobs that are often repetitive, physically demanding, or dangerous for humans. Competitions included industrial assembly, housekeeping, emergency rescue simulations, and even the sorting of library books. Judges evaluated robots not only on task completion but also on precision and efficiency, with penalties assessed for errors like collisions or spills.

Dexterity and Autonomy as Key Metrics

The games placed a strong emphasis on both dexterity and autonomous operation. A dedicated ‘dexterous-hand’ competition tested robots' ability to perform intricate tasks such as assembling power tools, manipulating small objects with tweezers, and connecting delicate cables. Beyond this, organizers raised the bar for autonomy across all events; fully autonomous performance received double the scoring weight compared to remote control operation, incentivizing developers to prioritize independent functionality. Liu Weiliang, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, explained that each completed task serves as a “trial run in a real-world scenario.”

Bridging the Gap to Commercialization

The design of the competitions was informed by direct input from stakeholders across various industries. Organizers surveyed businesses involved in commercial services, landscaping, and emergency response to identify tasks ripe for robotic automation – specifically those involving repetitive or physically taxing work. Jiang Guangzhi, head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, anticipates that many competition rules will evolve into practical technical standards, accelerating the adoption of robotics in industry. Xu Xiaolan, chairwoman of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, noted China’s humanoid robot industry is entering a critical phase of large-scale commercialization.

Remaining Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite significant progress, challenges remain in achieving widespread robotic deployment. Wang Xingxing, founder of Unitree Robotics, identified limited generalization capability as the biggest hurdle facing the global industry. While AI models can achieve high success rates in controlled environments, performance often declines when faced with unexpected changes in objects or surroundings. He predicts a breakthrough – akin to the impact of ChatGPT on natural language processing – will occur when robots can reliably complete 80% of everyday tasks based on simple voice or text commands, potentially within two to three years.

The World Humanoid Robot Games are intended to provide a tangible demonstration of robotic capabilities for companies, investors, and the public, fostering a transition from technological storytelling to real-world applications and product development.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.