Robots running into walls go viral ahead of 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games

The second World Humanoid Robot Games will kick off this weekend in Beijing, China, gathering tech companies and university groups from around the world to test their robots across 50 events. As such, entrants have been running last-minute tests in preparation for the competition, showcasing some impressive feats — and amusing failures.

Last year’s inaugural Games featured over 500 robots from 280 teams, competing in 26 events. These not only included sports such as floor gymnastics and soccer, but also competitions designed to test the robots’ capabilities when working in hotel, factory, and hospital scenarios.

The Games have grown considerably this year, involving 2056 robots presented by 666 teams from across 16 countries. New athletic events such as table tennis, tug of war, and weightlifting have been added, alongside expanded “scenario-based events” like assembling power tools, conducting a fire rescue, and charging an electric car.

They also have varying automation requirements. While human operators are permitted in sporting events like long jump and kickboxing, the humanoid robots are required to act independently in ones such as breakdancing, cheerleading, and the 4×100-metre relay. Though the rules for scenario-based events are less strict, allowing both automation and remote control, the scores for the latter are halved. As such, entrants who submit fully autonomous robots have a definite edge.

According to the World Humanoid Robot Games’ website, participating robots are to “demonstrate a perfect balance of strength, speed, and flexibility” in the sporting events, while the scenario events will test them “on functionality and adaptability in real-world environments.”

“As the world’s first multidimensional humanoid robot competition encompassing ‘sports + art + application,’ the Games adhere to the principles of fair competition, open innovation, safety control, and industrial synergy,” the World Humanoid Robot Games states. “Participating teams are encouraged to push athletic boundaries through technological innovation and to explore the infinite possibilities of human–robot coexistence through interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Chinese robotics companies Unitree and X-Humanoid dominated the competition last year, topping the medal tally at 11 and 10 respectively. Of these, Unitree’s H1 humanoid robot scored the company’s four gold medals in track and field events, while X-Humanoid took two golds in the 100-metre sprint and a factory floor scenario.

Unitree is likely to do well again this year. The company previewed its new “Superman” humanoid robot earlier this week, sharing a video of it jumping approximately 2 metres high as well as running at 12.658 m/s. The top recorded speed reached by world-class sprinter Usain Bolt — credited with being the fastest man in the world —  was 12.42 m/s.

“This new machine has only been in development for a little over three months, with significant room for further improvement in the coming months,” Unitree claimed.

Unitree’s demonstration combined with last year’s performance certainly makes it one to watch, particularly as the new Superman robot seems likely to compete. Earlier this week, robotics expert Eren Chen shared a clip on X that appeared to show Unitree’s Superman doing a test run on the World Humanoid Robot Games’ track, though it sprinted off course and crashed into some electrical boxes.

While the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games runs from Aug. 22 to 26, some teams arrived at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval ahead of time, with videos of their preparations spreading online. Another viral clip Chen shared showed an unidentified humanoid robot running down the track before colliding with a cushioned blue wall. Unfortunately it was unable to catch itself, falling backwards onto its head and apparently breaking at the waist, sending sparks flying.

Judging by such test runs, Chen noted that this year’s runners seem to have more difficulty navigating than at last year’s event. This may be due to the World Humanoid Robot Games updating the requirements for several track events, changing them from remote-controlled to autonomous.

“Last year, running and dynamic motion control were meaningful because they proved a basic point: before a humanoid can do useful work, it first needs a capable body.  But once that foundation exists, simply making the robot run faster gives you diminishing returns,” Chen posted, questioning the value in continuing to make humanoid robots run faster.

“Knowing when to slow down, when to stop, and how to stop safely matters just as much as how fast you can run. That kind of judgment is also part of what makes a robot actually intelligent…. At the end of the day, our goal is to have a robot that can safely and reliably work around people and actually get things done.”

That isn’t to say that the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games were without mishaps. Several robots reportedly did not finish or even leave the starting line in last year’s opening race, with at least one competitor falling and losing an arm. Meanwhile, a robot fell and tripped several others during a soccer game, while a kickboxing robot sent itself to the floor after disrupting its own balance with a roundhouse kick. Even so, such incidents no doubt provide valuable data and learning experiences for the humanoid robots’ development teams.

It’s unlikely that those in the U.S. will get to see such humanoid robots in person any time soon. The U.S. government banned all new foreign-made mobile robots from the country last month, including robot vacuums. If you do happen to be in Beijing this weekend, attendance at the World Humanoid Robot Games is open to the public, with tickets starting from ¥98 (approximately $14.50).

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