China kicked off a three-day long sports showcase for humanoid robots on Friday, looking to highlight progress in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries competing in the World Humanoid Robot Games. Robots will compete in sports such as football, track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackle robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services. Teams come from countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 representing universities and 88 from private enterprises. Robots from Chinese companies including Unitree and Fourier are among those competing. The Beijing municipal government is among the organising bodies for the event, underscoring the emphasis Chinese authorities place on the emerging robotics industry and reflecting the country’s broader ambitions in AI and automation. The China’s robotics push also comes as the country grapples with an ageing population and slowing economic growth. The sector has received government subsidies exceeding $20 billion over the past year, while Beijing plans to establish a one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to support AI and robotics startups. China has staged a series of high-profile robotics events in recent months, including what it called the world’s first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing, a robot conference and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots.

Full report : The first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games kick off in China.