[Anchor]

The World Humanoid Robot Games are underway in China. Beyond the flashy spectacles, it serves as a testing ground to gauge whether humanoid robots can be utilized in everyday life.

Here is a report from Beijing correspondent Choi Go-un.

[Reporter]

After the opening ceremony featuring robots waving the tournament flag and making a grand entrance in formation, the official competitions began.

Although a bit clumsy at times, robots successfully returned table tennis balls to the opponent's court, and an increasing number of running robots showcased high speeds while operating with full autonomy.

In this year's preliminary rounds, a robot completed the 100-meter dash in 9.39 seconds, surpassing the world record of "sprint king" Usain Bolt, demonstrating significant performance improvements.

[TianGong, 400m Running Team: We significantly upgraded the joints and electrical systems. We also adjusted the algorithms to make them suitable for explosive power output during high-speed races.]

[Yu Mo / Age 6: I was watching events like kickboxing, soccer, and running. I've already watched several times and it's really fun.]

This year's event has grown larger than last year.

The number of participating robots quadrupled to over 2,050, competing across 51 categories.

A large number of events requiring delicacy have been added, ranging from everyday chores like cleaning and organizing books to tasks demanding precision such as measuring powder weight and opening bottle caps.

This is to evaluate whether robots are nearing commercialization to the point where they can replace humans in actual factories or homes.

[Gong Xiao / Deputy Director, China Software Testing Center: The task involves transferring 20 grams of powder with a margin of error within plus or minus 0.5 grams. We are focusing on evaluating dexterity and precise manipulation capabilities similar to human fingers.]

While they still fall short of humans—such as falling due to failing to control speed or moving awkwardly—projections suggest the robotics industry will experience explosive growth within the next decade.

[Wang Xingxing / CEO of Unitree: Over the next 10 years, as AI develops explosively and captures global attention, the pace of robot evolution will accelerate significantly.]

Beyond speed and precision, the true competitive edge for humanoids is expected to be whether they can make autonomous decisions and work in unpredictable situations.

(Camera Cooperation: Yang Ata | Video Editing: Kim Ho-jin)