Beijing Event Shows Robots Still Have a Lot of Catching Up to Do

There is a very real concern that robots could eventually make some of our jobs obsolete.

- Yan Zhuang

NEW YORK - But at a robot-only sports competition in China over the weekend, the immediate concern was that they would fall over or crash into one another.

The World Humanoid Robot Games, a three-day event in Beijing that ended on Aug 17, featured more than 280 teams from universities and private companies in 16 countries. Some robots landed backflips and successfully navigated obstacle courses and rough terrain.

In other cases, the robots' athletic ability left, well, something to be desired.

During football matches, child-size ones tripped over one another, falling down like dominoes. One goalkeeper robot stood placidly as its opponent kicked a ball at its legs several times before finally managing to score.

One robot by China's Unitree Robotics ploughed into a human staff member while sprinting during a track event, knocking him down.

In kickboxing matches, robots wearing colourful gloves and head gear struggled to land punches.

"To be honest, the hit rate is a little low," a commentator said. "They're punching the air."