The first Robot Sports Games is a competition to see which robot can fall in a way that is more appealing to the audience.

Text by | Fu Chong

Edited by | Su Jianxun

These days, any event tagged with the keywords "First Session" and "Robot" is bound to attract attention.

In this regard, the recently held "First Global Humanoid Robot Sports Games" at the Ice Ribbon Stadium in Beijing was truly a magnet for the spotlight.

As an observer of embodied intelligence for "The Emergence of Intelligence", I couldn't miss out on such a lively event. I rushed there at the first moment despite the heavy and extremely heavy rain.

The heavy rain couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators. Photo source: Taken by the author

To my surprise, it wasn't really a sports games but more like a large - scale "scene of claiming the eye - catchers".

Overall, it was... quite relaxed.

It all started with the "football match" at the opening ceremony. The scene was basically a collective showcase of the failure of embodied intelligence to control the limbs.

The robot player targeting the opposing goalkeeper and the motionless goalkeeper. Photo source: Taken by the author

The ball is coming? Oh, will the goalkeeper robot make a save? No way. Watching the ball go into the net is the real deal.

As for the robot players, it seems their main job isn't to kick the ball but to keep kicking the opposing goalkeeper.

Finally, the football - playing robot managed to kick the ball into the goal, and then it started kicking the goal net violently.

In the end, the referee couldn't stand it anymore and pulled the robot away from the net. The host also joked at this time, "The net is quite expensive."

The host comforted everyone, saying that robots are like kids, and it's normal for them to stumble and make a fool of themselves. So, we should be more tolerant.

Here floats an eager - to - learn embodied intelligence cub. Photo source: Taken by the author

After being overly tolerant, I had a deep realization that these aren't so - called "embodied intelligence" but a bunch of eager - to - learn AI cubs.

Some robots, although they're supposed to be in the competition, are actually just there for a laugh (no sarcasm intended!)

Rather than fighting each other, boxing robots sometimes prefer to punch on their own. Photo source: Taken by the author

There are also "free - fighting" robots. Often, two boxers punch at the air. Sometimes, one trips over himself while fighting. The opponent is left bewildered: "I haven't even thrown a punch, bro!"

The kids were very excited, dancing with joy and saying, "So cool! Even when they can't land a punch, they're still so handsome!" Me: ???

Robots huddled together studying the ball and their injured teammate being dragged away. Photo source: Taken by the author

In the football match, robots often huddled together, blocked each other, and tripped over one another. But on closer inspection, they were also evolving rapidly.

The Unitree robot that twirled the handkerchief at the Spring Festival Gala also won the gold medal in the running event. Photo source: Internet

Unitree, which was ridiculed for not getting a good ranking in the "Yizhuang Humanoid Marathon", finally got its revenge. It won two gold medals in running on the first day of the competition.

Recalling the previous Yizhuang competition, the teams using the Unitree robots ended up at the bottom, and there was a lot of online mockery saying that Unitree was no good.

Well, this time, Wang Xingxing stepped in personally, proving with strength that it's not that our side is incompetent but that the opponents... need personal intervention!

The lying - down embodied cub: Someone... help me. Photo source: Taken by the author

There were also touching moments. Every time a robot fell, there would be a unified "Oh—!" from the audience.

The wave of regret was comparable to that when Liu Xiang withdrew from the competition back then.

It's not an easy task for a robot to stand up on its own after falling.

Engineers need to design complex algorithms to enable robots to sense their own postures, judge the force they're subjected to, and precisely control joint movements.

The "Yang Guo" robot that turned to the stands to thank the applauding audience after crossing the finish line. Photo source: Taken by the author

What impressed me the most was a running robot. Even after losing an arm, it still insisted on rushing towards the finish line. Maybe the Paralympic Games should consider adding an embodied intelligence event in the future.

Every time a fallen robot stood up on its own, there would be applause from the audience. It seems that human expectations of AI are no longer just about efficiency and intelligence but also about some kind of emotion.

A robot that stood up on its own after falling. Photo source: Taken by the author

Of course, there were also robots that could really do the work.

In addition to the sports and cultural events, there was also a "work area" at the venue. For example, there were tasks like factory sorting, medicine retrieval, and hotel greeting (pulling suitcases).

The most difficult task was cleaning service. Robots had to pick up scattered bottles, boxes, and other items in the room, and then go out and close the door behind them.

During the competition in the work area. Photo source: Taken by the author

This was really a tough job for embodied intelligence.

The doorknobs were as slippery as if they were oiled. The mechanical fingers kept slipping when trying to grasp, repeating the "futile attempt" over and over again. Hinge - related tasks were still too difficult for them.

An embodied intelligence investor beside me said, "The work - scenario competition is great! It's time to see who's really capable, not just boasting about what they're good at!"

After all, although these robots are all good at being cute, their "prices" are not low. In the past two years, a large amount of investment and financing has been flowing into humanoid robot companies. Many of these "iron cubs" are star projects heavily invested in by capital.

The track in the middle was for track and field, football, and boxing, and the sides were for work - related tasks. Overall, it felt more like a technology fair. Photo source: Taken by the author

In the end, standing in the noisy venue, I saw the robot football players huddled together, seemingly deep in thought about their "silicon lives", while the cleaning robot was still struggling with the doorknob...

This wasn't a serious, tense, united, and lively sports games at all. It was more like a technology fair full of glitches, surprises, laughter, and an inexplicable warmth!

A kid having a great time playing with the chess - playing robot. Photo source: Taken by the author

After the competition, when I was leaving the venue, I passed by the "Robot Technology Experience Store" opened by Shoucheng Holdings. I saw a group of kids surrounding the robots, playing chess and games with them, having a whale of a time.

At that moment, I suddenly realized that our expectations of AI are really not just about efficiency and intelligence but also about some warmth and emotion.