China building robot world as they start doing home chores, playing sports in tournaments: Watch here

Is China building a world where robots could become part of everyday life? The country is certainly moving in that direction. At the World Robot Conference, humanoids are being shown doing more than walking and talking. They are sorting boxes, handling laundry and packing clothes, while at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, robots are running races, playing football, boxing and even taking part in tennis matches. The bigger question is whether these machines will eventually become useful companions at home and in other parts of daily life.

China's push comes as its humanoid robot industry gains a major lead. A Bloomberg report says Chinese humanoid robot makers now account for 97 percent of global shipments, putting the country well ahead of its US rivals. Beijing is now turning the technology into a public spectacle, with thousands of robots competing in events designed to test how well they can move, react and perform tasks.

It is not surprising because Elon Musk has spoken about such a future where robots could handle much of the work, leaving humans less dependent on jobs for their livelihoods - an idea that sounds interesting, but whether ordinary people will be able to afford such technology remains a question. He has predicted that humans will be free to grow vegetables and there will be no need to save money for future.

Robots are now competing in sports: Watch the video below

The second World Humanoid Robot Games opened in Beijing with 666 teams and 2,056 humanoid robots taking part. The five-day event features 51 events and 1,301 competitions, covering athletics, football, weightlifting, tug-of-war and table tennis. There are also contests based on industrial, hotel, logistics and household work.

One of the most eye-catching moments came during the opening ceremony when a humanoid robot completed the 100-metre race in 9.39 seconds. That was faster than Usain Bolt's 9.58-second men's world record. The robot, Tien Kung Ultra, was developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre.

Another Tian Gong robot won the 400-metre large-robot race in 38.15 seconds, also finishing faster than the human men's world record of 43.03 seconds. The improvement from last year was dramatic, with the winning robot previously completing the event in 88.03 seconds.

Tennis offered another glimpse of how far these machines are being pushed. A humanoid robot made by Beijing-based Galbot played against humans in singles and mixed doubles. It tracked the ball, moved across the court and returned shots. At one point, it fell while chasing the ball, rolled over, stood back up and continued the game.

Not everything went smoothly. Some robots fell during races and football matches, while one football-playing robot even knocked over its own teammate. Staff had to carry or wheel away robots that could not continue.

The robots have also been shown performing Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese internal martial art, giving the technology showcase a distinctly Chinese touch.

From sports arenas to homes and coffee shops

The more interesting part of China's robot push may be happening away from the sports field. At the World Robot Conference, humanoid machines are being demonstrated handling tasks such as laundry, sorting boxes and packing clothes. The idea is to show that these machines could eventually do useful work outside controlled factory environments.

A separate South China Morning Post report also highlighted a humanoid robot running a 24-hour coffee shop in Beijing without staff. The robot-operated store reportedly served 202 cups of coffee in one hour, setting a Guinness World Record.

Getting robots to work independently, however, remains difficult. Battery life is a major problem because their motors consume significant power simply to move. Adding AI processing directly to the machines can increase energy use further. Some companies are therefore relying on cloud computing, which makes strong network connectivity increasingly important.

At this year's games, more robots are equipped with 5G-Advanced modules that can send information from their sensors to external AI systems and receive instructions in return.

China's rapid progress is also drawing attention from Washington. AP News reported that the US Federal Communications Commission recently announced restrictions on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns, while the Pentagon has added Chinese robot maker Unitree to a list of companies it says have ties to the Chinese military. Beijing has rejected such accusations.

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