International Humanoid Robot Olympics Concludes In China

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The first ever Olympics for robots concluded this week in China, and it was quite a competition. The International Humanoid Robot Olympics, hosted by the Harbin Institute of Technology, brought together 18 universities from around the world for a three day competition that started Monday.

The International Humanoid Robot Olympics boasted twenty four different events, featuring such traditional events as gymnastics and track and field events, but also including much more unconventional events like sweeping up and various medical care events.

The event permitted only “humanoid” robots, meaning they must look at least vaguely like a human, requiring only two arms, only two legs, and a head, as well as a maximum height restriction of 23.6 inches. Robots with wheels, treads, and the like were barred from competition.

And there’s no word on whether their oil was checked for steroids first.

By way of rundown, the word is that Chinese robots handled soccer events very well, while America’s team (who, ironically, are actually doing better in soccer than their robotic counterparts) took high marks at the steeplechase. The event has been planned since last November, and it’s designed to promote awareness and give robots a chance to show their capability.