Humanoid robots are being prepared for the World Games
When robots cease to be mere manipulators on factory assembly lines and begin to write calligraphy, cook noodles and even shoot arrows from horseback, the line between machine and living being blurs. Behind these impressive skills lie not just algorithms but years of training in real‑world conditions — from tea plantations to mountain lakes. Every movement, every touch requires not only precision but also the ability to sense the surrounding world and adapt to its variability. This is how robots are being prepared for the World Games, which will be the ultimate test of their capabilities.
WAIC 2026, which concluded on Monday in Shanghai, brought together leading scientists, tech entrepreneurs and investors from around the world to explore the frontiers of AI. The exhibition featured more than 3,000 products and technologies, over 300 of which made their global debut. Particular attention was drawn to dexterous robotic hands, which demonstrated a wide range of refined practical skills: writing the traditional Chinese character Fu (meaning blessing), making hand‑pulled noodles, grilling lamb skewers and even skipping stones across water. The breadth of these capabilities fully demonstrated the sophisticated fine‑motor control and embedded intelligence of modern robotic manipulators.
A key factor enabling these complex physical tasks is the high‑precision tactile perception system of the robotic hands, which serves as a bridge between the robot's "brain" and its physical movements. "Tactile feedback allows the robot's brain to understand the state of my grip, giving it a sense of touch. This greatly helps the robot's brain control the execution of movements and ensure flawless task completion," said Li Maosong, a representative of the development team at the exhibition. According to the team, these capabilities were not developed solely in laboratory conditions. The dexterous hand participated in a full‑scale "Energy Relay" event organised by China Media Group as part of the preparation programme for the upcoming 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
To test the technology's resilience in real‑world conditions, the robotic hand was deployed across China in a series of extreme and culturally specific settings. In Fuding, Fujian Province, it carried out the entire process of tea picking, roasting and pressing tea cakes. In Bazhong, Sichuan Province, it took part in dragon boat races and zongzi making. In addition, on the shores of Sayram Lake in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it achieved a world first for humanoid robots: archery on horseback. These rigorous tests continuously optimised the robot's flexible control, waterproofing and tactile perception, accumulating a vast amount of raw data for its future deployment in society and homes. "The Energy Relay competitions comprehensively tested four key capabilities: tactile perception, environmental adaptation, graded force control and whole‑body coordination. From tea picking to dragon boat racing and horseback archery, real‑world extreme scenarios force hardware and algorithms to improve, jointly driving the development of China's embodied AI industry," said Xue Ming, a representative of the Energy Relay robot team.
WAIC has been held in Shanghai since 2018 and has become one of the world's most respected platforms for showcasing AI achievements. The second World Humanoid Robot Games are scheduled for 22‑26 August this year in Beijing, featuring more than 30 events that will demonstrate the latest advances in embodied intelligence and precision manipulation. As CCTV+ reports. The participation of robots in real‑world extreme scenarios, from tea plantations to horseback archery, demonstrates that China is betting not only on theoretical research but also on practical skills training in conditions as close to real life as possible.
