Shanghai competition pits 1,000 humanoid robots against real-world tasks

The International Embodied Intelligence Competition concluded in Shanghai on Sunday, showcasing the innovative practices and vibrant ecosystem of embodied intelligence to the world.

About 1,000 humanoid robots from more than 800 teams competed in scenarios ranging from industrial production to everyday life.

The event is expected to become a platform for in-depth communication and cooperation, bringing together innovative efforts to promote embodied intelligence technology and its industrial applications, said Gan Xiaobin, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at the opening ceremony of the three-day 2026 Global Developer Pioneers Summit.

Noting that embodied intelligence is driving deeper integration of AI into the physical world, Gan said it will be a key force in developing new quality productive forces, as well as in driving industrial transformation and upgrading.

The competition focuses on practical needs in industrial, service and special operations, with teams competing across 23 categories.

The combined scale of Shanghai's AI enterprises above the designated size, each with an annual revenue of at least 20 million yuan ($3 million), has surpassed 330 billion yuan in the first half this year, up 22.6 percent year-on-year, said Zhang Ying, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.

As the core hub of Shanghai's embodied intelligence industry, Shanghai's Pudong New Area has become one of the country's leading areas with a highly developed and well-equipped industrial cluster, said Wu Jincheng, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and deputy head of Pudong New Area.

"More than 30 humanoid robot models have been launched in Pudong New Area, making it the area with the highest concentration of mass-produced humanoid robots worldwide," Wu said, adding that Pudong will continue to build an industry ecosystem that truly understands developers, offers support throughout the development lifecycle, and aims to become a leading innovation hub for the embodied intelligence industry.

The International Embodied Intelligence Competition is a major event at the 2026 Global Developer Pioneers Summit, which brings together over 300 robot hardware companies and more than 200 enterprises serving as suppliers across the industrial chain.

The conference, which covers key sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and services, systematically connected technology, developers, industry, capital and real-world scenarios. It sought to help cutting-edge global technologies find applications in China and strengthen Shanghai's position in global AI innovation.