Openness helps robots go faster, higher, stronger

The 2026 World Robot Conference held in Beijing draws crowds of visitors, Aug. 22. (Photo/Liu Yang)

On Aug. 19, the 2026 World Robot Conference opened in Beijing, bringing together participants from China and around the world to share opportunities in the robotics industry.

Three days later, the second World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off at the National Speed Skating Oval, known as the "Ice Ribbon." Originally built for human racing, the venue has been transformed into a high-tech arena for robots. What remains unchanged is the pursuit of going "faster, higher and stronger."

This August offers a glimpse into the latest global trends in robotics, while also providing an important window into the emerging opportunities in China.

Openness has been a defining feature of both events.

More than 300 Chinese and international robotics companies took part in the 2026 World Robot Conference, while 2,056 robots from 16 countries across six continents competed in the Games.

Amid the sweeping transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI), China is embracing a more open approach, taking more practical steps and adopting a longer-term perspective to provide a platform where countries around the world to create and share opportunities together.

A five-on-five robot soccer match is held at the second World Humanoid Robot Games, Aug. 23. (Photo/Chen Xiaogen)

Embracing openness allows businesses to learn from one another through exchange.

"We come here to compete because we want to test our robots' ability to work together. Cooperation among teams from different parts of the world, with different cultural backgrounds, is very important to the development of humanoid robots," said a foreign team leader at this year's World Humanoid Robot Games.

Whether it is scoring one more goal, jumping one centimeter higher, making an incorrect turn, or sustaining damage to a robot's body, every outcome offers valuable feedback for improving products. Competitions drive research and industrial development, helping companies identify technological trends through head-to-head contests and encouraging the industry to learn from one another and progress together.

Embracing openness allows market players to tap into broader international markets.

For the first time, the 2026 World Robot Conference was organized around four thematic days, including a dedicated procurement day. "It's great to see so many manufacturers and such a wide variety of robots here in China," said a Belgian buyer.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's industrial robot production and localization rates continued to rise. In the first half of 2026, China's shipments of humanoid robots exceeded 40,000 units, accounting for 97 percent of the global total. Industrial robot exports reached 6.29 billion yuan ($936 million), up 18.6 percent year on year.

Humanoid robots compete in the large-group 400-meter race at the second World Humanoid Robot Games, Aug. 23. (Photo/Chen Xiaogen)

With an expanding range of applications, Chinese robots are injecting new momentum into the global transformation toward intelligent production, while quietly entering and benefiting people's work and daily lives around the world.

Embracing openness means drawing on an inexhaustible source of innovation.

At the exhibition booths of the 2026 World Robot Conference, robots demonstrated their ability to unpack parcels, fold clothes, and clear tables -- leaving many visitors exclaiming: "Can I get one of these robots for my home right away?"

From exhibition displays to real-world products, and from struggling to maintain balance to challenging human sprinting records, the embodied intelligence industry is accelerating technological advances at an unprecedented pace, opening up ever greater possibilities for industrial development.

An open arena creates opportunities to break records. Embracing openness means embracing more possibilities. Looking to the future, the right approach is to attract participants through fair rules and drive breakthroughs through intensive exchange and competition.