[현장] 사무실 정리하고, 음식 조리하고…‘진짜 일’로 승부 겨루는 중국 로봇운동회

In the southern area of Beijing's National Speed Skating Sports Stadium, on the 23rd day, robot number 65 meticulously organized a pile of paperwork, trash cans, and disheveled chairs. The robot moved the chairs aside and lifted the file organizer, before setting it back down on the floor. Despite the 10 minutes that passed, the office cleanup was incomplete.

In the northern area, humanoid robots transformed into restaurant workers, handling tasks such as operating a coffee machine and using a microwave. One robot completed this task in 15 minutes and 33 seconds. The second annual Humanoid (Humiroid) Robot Sports Competition, which started on the previous day, drew more attention as it tested 'working abilities' beyond speed and agility.

This year's competition included 16 countries, 666 teams, and 2056 robots, competing in 51 events with 1301 rounds of play. The organizing committee explained that the competition scenario games were designed not just as single-action tests, but to simulate real work processes. The goal was to gauge how organically the robot's 'eyes, brain, and hands' work together.

This year, the "scenario games" expanded to nine fields, including household chores, hotel services, industrial production, emergency rescue, library management, retail, office work, park management, and electric vehicle charging. The "smart hands" final saw robots completing tasks like assembling a drill, weighing powder, stacking blocks, and picking up beans, all in under 15 minutes.

The competition expanded beyond traditional scenarios like running and soccer, with some robots struggling to complete tasks like stacking blocks vertically in just five minutes. The autonomous nature of the competition proved to be the true test, as robots had to navigate real-world variables without human intervention.