The first-ever World Robot Games will be held in China
The first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games will take place in Beijing from August 15th to 17th. Competitions between robots will be held at the National Stadium "Bird's Nest" and the National Speed Skating Oval "Ice Ribbon" in Beijing, which previously hosted the Olympic Games, RIA Novosti reports, citing information from China Central Television. The upcoming games will be the world's first universal sports competition where the main participants are humanoid robots. It is reported that they will include competitions in 11 traditional sports. Among them are seven track and field events, including the 100 meters, 400 meters, 1500 meters, 4x100 meters relay, 100 meters hurdles, standing long jump and high jump, as well as gymnastics and football matches in two-on-two, three-on-three, and five-on-five formats. The games will primarily evaluate the athletic abilities of humanoid robots, their coordination, and teamwork skills.
Earlier, in April, the world's first joint half-marathon for humans and humanoid robots took place in the Chinese capital. The conditions for robot participation in the half-marathon were a humanoid design and the ability to move on two legs without the use of wheeled devices. The rules for robot participants were quite strict: they must not damage the track or their robot competitors, must not harm people, and must strictly follow the designated route and all technical regulations. The winning robot in the race received a cash prize of 5,000 yuan (about $700), while the silver and bronze medalists received 4,000 and 3,000 yuan ($560 and $420) respectively. The organizers also provided a number of additional award categories: for successful completion of the race, for best endurance, and for the most creative design. The development teams of the humanoid robots participating in the half-marathon were also presented with special prizes from sponsors. The award to the winning robot was presented by another humanoid robot.
