Have you ever tasted a dessert cooked by a robot chef? Or have you ever seen a robot boxer throw a uppercut?
Set to take place from August 8 to 12 in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, the 2025 edition of the conference will be held under the theme Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent. The event is showcasing over 1,500 exhibits from more than 200 leading robotics companies from around the world.
What highlights do they bring, and what future tech scenarios will they unlock?
Unitree Robotics had occupied a fighting arena, where two humanoid robots engaged in a combat show, creating the hottest atmosphere. The two metallic players, wearing black and light green helmets respectively, engaged in a fierce confrontation, dodging flexibly. Even some visitors couldn’t help but commentate while watching the game.
A humanoid robot from Beijing Booster Robotics also staged a soccer match, featuring dribbling, passing, and shooting, which also attracted a large audience. A five-year-old boy was chosen as the goalkeeper to play against the robot, but ultimately lost 3-1. However, the young player was still excited after leaving the field, “the robot is amazing!”
The audience packed the venue of the robot soccer match
In a special exhibition area, Robot Market, visitors even can hear robots playing melodious piano music and see robots making candied haws.
Undoubtedly, humanoid robots remain a major attraction of the conference, with 50 manufacturers of full-body humanoid robots showcasing their latest innovations.
The 10 most promising application scenarios for humanoid robots were announced at the opening ceremony.
According to the China Institute of Electronics, these scenarios are driving positive impacts across industries, along with the advances in humanoid technologies and product iterations.
These identified scenarios encompass general industrial operations, automotive manufacturing, 3C product manufacturing, shipbuilding, petrochemical production inspection, power generation, emergency response operations, commercial services, home services and agricultural production.
In 2024, China accounted for two-thirds of global robot patent applications and produced 556,000 industrial robots, remaining the world’s top manufacturer. China’s robotics market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 23 per cent, expanding to US$108 billion by 2028 from US$47 billion in 2024 to solidify the country’s position as a leader in the industry, according to a Morgan Stanley report in June.
