A humanoid robot folded nearly in half after crashing into a protective barrier at full speed during a practice run in Beijing. The bipedal machine was running down an athletics track ahead of major robotics competitions in the Chinese capital.
The incident occurred during a training session on the eve of the World Humanoid Robot Games, which start on August 22. Video of the spectacular collision quickly went viral across social media, drawing more than 13 million views according to media reports.
Footage published on social media shows the two-legged robot running fast along an athletics track. As it approached the end of the lane, the machine failed to brake in time and hit a soft barrier at high speed. The force of the impact sharply bent the robot body where its torso meets its legs before it fell onto the track, with sparks visible at the moment of collision.
The developer and specific model of the machine have not yet been identified, and the exact cause of the malfunction remains unknown. Social media users suggested that the computer vision system may have incorrectly recognised the obstacle or that the control algorithm initiated braking too late.
World Humanoid Robot Games
The accident took place during preparation for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, a five-day event in Beijing often called the Robot Olympics. Organisers have announced the participation of 666 teams from 16 countries, bringing around 2,056 robotic systems to the competition.
The program includes 30 sports disciplines alongside 21 challenges simulating real-world scenarios. Participating robots will execute tasks in residential homes, hotels, manufacturing facilities, logistics hubs, retail stores, and libraries, while also demonstrating skills in emergency rescue operations.
Hand manipulation is a major focus of the games through the Dexterous Hand Challenge. In this test, robots must assemble tools, weigh powders, stack blocks, drive nails, open bottles and packages, use tweezers, and connect cables. The tasks simultaneously evaluate computer vision, movement accuracy, and force control.
Speed Rules and Autonomy Scoring
Physical tasks are combined with running in the Integrated Five Challenge, which pairs object handling and heavy lifting with a 100-meter sprint. Speed requirements for the tournament have been tightened, requiring robots to cover 100 meters in a maximum of one minute, 400 meters in five minutes, and 1,500 meters in 15 minutes.
Most sports events must be completed autonomously without direct human control. Autonomy also impacts scoring in scenario challenges, where fully independent operation earns a multiplier coefficient of 1.0, while remote-controlled execution receives a maximum coefficient of 0.5.
