Humanoid robot tries weightlifting—Then crashes into judges’ table

The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games are currently taking place in Beijing, running from August 22 to August 26, 2026.

During the Beijing games, humanoid robots have left humans in awe with their record-breaking moves, speed and efficiency. When it comes to these robots, the world is wondering that China’s robotic industry is set to take off due to its rapid advancement.

For instance, developers reported striking feats of agility and speed. Notably, a humanoid robot developed by Beijing-based X-Humanoid recorded a 9.39 seconds 100 meter sprint which beats the human world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt in 2009.

Another X-Humanoid machine achieved a 2.88-meter standing high jump, surpassing the human record held by Javier Sotomayor.

But this is not all. Some malfunctions also happened during the event, showing shortcomings. When it comes to weightlifting like humans, it has proven that humanoid robots still have a long way to go to beat humans’ power in weightlifting.

In the event as shown in a widely circulated video, a humanoid robot tried to lift the weight but it crashed into the judges' panel during the final at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Monday.

Following the incident, the machine was carried away on a stretcher. The heavy-lifting event is part of a competition designed to test humanoid robots on joint torque, stability, and balance under heavy loads.

Viral video took internet by storm as users joked about the malfunction. One user wrote, “The robot really said “I’m done” mid rep. Robotics still has a long way to go, but these tests show where the next breakthroughs are needed”

Another one quipped, “Robots have a long way to go before they take our jobs lol.”

The Games includes 51 competitions and more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries.