Box, run, crash: China’s humanoid robot games show advances and limitations.
Beijing is keen to showcase country’s prowess in robotics, say observers – but some are sceptical about real-world us
Aquick left hook, a front kick to the chest, a few criss-cross jabs, and the crowd cheers. But it is not kickboxing prowess that concludes the match. It is an attempted roundhouse kick that squarely misses its target, sending the kickboxer from a top university team tumbling to the floor.
While traditional kickboxing comes with the risk of blood, sweat and serious head injuries, the competitors in Friday’s match at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing faced a different set of challenges. Balance, battery life and a sense of philosophical purpose being among them.
The kickboxers, pint-sized humanoid robots entered by teams from leading Chinese technological universities, are part of a jamboree of humanoid events taking place at China’s latest technology event. After spectators in the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, stood for the Chinese national anthem on Friday morning, the government-backed games began.
“I came here out of curiosity,” said Hong Yun, a 58-year-old retired engineer, sat in the front row. Seeing the robots race was “much more exciting than seeing real humans”, Hong added....
