Humanoid robot competition final kicks off in Beijing
On Saturday, the national final of the 28th China Robot and Artificial Intelligence Competition (CRAIC) in the "Humanoid Robots" category kicked off in Beijing. When humanoid machines take the stage not merely to imitate humans but to solve real industrial problems, we witness a quiet revolution. Only yesterday, humanoid robots were a laboratory curiosity – today they confidently step across rough terrain, sort components and perform high-risk missions without a single remote-control button being pressed. China's robot and AI competition, now in its 28th year, has evolved from an academic tournament into a true testing ground for technologies that will soon become commonplace in factories, hospitals and even our homes. And when 350 robots from 100 universities gather in Beijing, it is not just a contest – it is a dress rehearsal for the future, where intelligence and mechanics merge into a single organism.
The competition brought together 213 teams from more than 100 universities, fielding about 350 robots. The machines demonstrated autonomous navigation over various terrains, intelligent obstacle avoidance and part-sorting capabilities achieved through environmental perception. As a contest covering full‑size, medium and small humanoid robots, it has transformed from a purely academic event into a practical tool for identifying and nurturing industrial talent. Notably, this year for the first time, full‑size humanoid robots competed entirely without remote control. The challenges recreated real‑world industrial scenarios, such as high‑risk inspection missions, loading and unloading on production lines, and sorting automotive parts. On the arena, robots relied solely on onboard sensors to perceive their environment. Participants were tasked with autonomously executing complex manoeuvres, from climbing slopes to traversing uneven ground, all within a strict 50‑minute time limit.
"We were deeply impressed by this competition, because the industrial environment is very different from our lab. When we continue our research in the lab, we will definitely need to improve the robot's versatility and its ability to handle various unexpected factors," said Li Zixiang, a contestant from Xi'an Technological University. For medium‑sized humanoid robots, the competition focused on public service applications. Tasks such as scheduled reminders, intelligent navigation and precise medication delivery were used to evaluate autonomous decision‑making in complex environments. The small‑sized humanoid robot competition centred on AI system applications and embodied intelligence research, with a particular emphasis on interactive development using large language models. By integrating technologies such as embodied intelligence and OpenHarmony, the event tested teams' skills in image recognition, trajectory planning and related R&D. It also provided a practical platform for discussion among groups using different technological approaches.
The China Robot and Artificial Intelligence Competition has been held since 1995 and over three decades has grown from a niche academic event to a large‑scale national showcase involving thousands of students and researchers. This year's special focus on humanoid robotics aligns with the national strategy to advance embodied intelligence and industrial autonomous systems. Experts note that such competitions not only stimulate engineering creativity but also accelerate the commercialisation of developments, shortening the gap between lab prototypes and real‑world production.
As CCTV+ reports, the final trials in Beijing confirm that humanoid robots are rapidly leaving university laboratories, and in the coming years we will see them in factories, logistics centres and even social institutions, working side by side with people.
