The 2026 World Robot Conference opened in Beijing on Wednesday, with this year’s event putting greater emphasis on showcasing the use of technology into everyday life.
Footage shows a robot playing football with a visitor, groups of robots dancing and others boxing. Children can be seen interacting with humanoid machines while a robot ‘wedding’ entertained guests.
Visitor Yuri from Bulgaria said he was impressed by the range of tasks performed by the robots, singling out fighting machines performing kung fu moves.
“We are in the biggest exhibition about robotics, and super interesting things are happening right here, right now. You can go and check all the stands. There’s very, very interesting and life-like robots doing all kinds of stuff,” he shared.
Russian visitor Egor said the exhibition offered a glimpse of what could become increasingly common in everyday life.
“What I see here, it is our future,” he said. “Many, many companies, they think about innovation. They think about humanoid robotics.”
More than 300 exhibitors are taking part, up 36 percent from 2025, with over 2,000 exhibits and more than 150 products set to make their debut.
Running until August 23, this year’s conference is held under the theme ‘Human-Robot Symbiosis, Production Demand Convergence,’ with the World Robot Expo and World Robot Contest held alongside it.
For the first time, a dedicated exhibition zone brings together 49 of China’s centrally administered state-owned enterprises, showcasing robots across 12 fields, from manufacturing and energy to logistics and emergency response.
Source: Viory
