Over 100 Teams Compete in Hangzhou Robot Challenge; 6-Hour Endurance Race Mirrors Industrial Scenarios
The 2026 Global Digital Trade Innovation Competition's Embodied AI Robot Challenge kicked off on September 23 at Hall 6B of the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center. As a key supporting event of the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo, it drew over 100 teams from domestic universities and technology enterprises.
These teams are competing across 14 events, including legged robot speed and obstacle challenges, humanoid robot stationary shooting, and autonomous football confrontations.
The legged robot racing series began with a whistle, featuring 60-meter and 100-meter straight sprints, shuttle runs, and obstacle courses. Some robots ran steadily toward the finish line, while others adjusted their posture in real time during high-speed runs, withstanding disturbances to complete the course. Climbing, obstacle crossing, and dynamic balance tests examine the robots' motion control and environmental adaptability.
The 6-hour 100-meter shuttle endurance race stood out, requiring robots to run back and forth continuously for hours. Battery management, heat dissipation, gait stability, and overall reliability are pushed to their limits in this long-duration test.
In the humanoid robot arena, stationary shooting and 3V3 football demonstrated AI and whole-body coordination. Robots first visually located the hoop, then bent their knees, adjusted posture, and shot the basketball. In football, robots operated without remote control, relying on perception and autonomous decision-making for running, ball seeking, passing, shooting, and transitions between offense and defense. Round after round of attack and defense directly showcased humanoid robots' autonomous decision-making in complex dynamic environments.
The competition events are aligned with industrial needs. As China's embodied AI industry moves from concept demonstrations to industrial deployment, the high-intensity, disturbance-rich arena serves as a stress test. According to staff, the challenge's events fully align with real-world industry demands. Racing tests motion efficiency and balance control; confrontations like football, tug-of-war, and free fighting verify impact resistance and dynamic decision-making; the 6-hour endurance race directly addresses the stringent requirements of future industrial and service scenarios for long-term stable operation. The event aims to build a complete chain from testing and demonstration to capital matching and industrial landing, beyond mere competition.
Off-site industry matchmaking activities ran in parallel. An enterprise product innovation exhibition area showcased complete robots and core components such as six-axis force sensors and motion capture systems. At the Embodied AI Innovation Workshop, company representatives shared cutting-edge R&D results, and research teams, investors, application scenario providers, and industry recruitment representatives held face-to-face discussions. Finals for free fighting, tug-of-war, standing high jump, and humanoid robot racing will take place on September 25. Starting the afternoon of September 25, experience projects like 60-meter human-robot racing, robot dog obstacle crossing, and robot boxing will open to the public.