From science fair to strategic showcase: a decade of China’s robot games

China's robotic competitions, once modest academic events, have evolved into a significant national showcase for a strategically important industry, personally endorsed by President Xi Jinping. What started as college-level 'robotics as a college sport' from 1999-2014, playing robot soccer, elevated to a national priority in 2015 with the first World Robot Conference, where mobile robots played badminton, utilizing then-current sensor technology. By 2023, the focus shifted to commercial viability and pricing advantage, with companies like Xiaomi showcasing affordable products like the Cyberdog, costing significantly less than Western counterparts, demonstrating a move from laboratory to practical application. This transformation highlights China's rapid advancements in robotics and its growing competitive edge in the global market, with the latest incarnation, the World Humanoid Robot Games, beginning in Beijing.