The Chinese capital Beijing witnessed an extraordinary event with the start of the 1500-meter race for humanoid robots as part of the 2025 World Robotics Games. Forty-two intelligent robots lined up on the starting line in a traditional athletics-like setting, inside the National Speed Skating Arena built for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The robots were divided into 11 groups, and the organizing committee imposed a new rule that any robot exceeding the set course would be penalized, creating an exciting competitive atmosphere that reflects the rapid leaps and bounds of the robotics world.
The Unitree H1 robot, developed by Beijing Lingyi Technology, won first place with a time of 6 minutes and 34 seconds amid the interaction and applause of the audience. The development team emphasized that the race was a great challenge for the robot's components and control algorithms, but it also served as a practical experience to improve performance in the future. Spectators were amazed by the robots' agility and endurance over long distances, exceeding expectations. The World Robotics Games continues through Sunday, following the World Robotics Congress 2025, to showcase the latest innovations in collaborative movement and intelligent decision-making.