Humanoid Robots, Football & Underwater Missions: China’s Robot Contest

China’s robot showdown is underway in Hangzhou, with nearly 5,000 contestants taking part in major robotics competitions. The events include the 1st Global Embodied Intelligence Application Innovation Challenge and the 2026 China Robot Competition, bringing together participants from more than 300 universities. Over 2,000 finalist teams are competing in challenges ranging from humanoid robot relays and badminton to underwater operations and real-world autonomous tasks.