Galbot, Unitree Showcase Humanoid Robotics with Gold Medals at World Humanoid Robot Games

Insider Brief

  • Galbot won the gold medal in the Robot Skills Challenge at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, outperforming 22 international teams by competing fully autonomously.
  • The company’s robot excelled in the pharmaceutical sorting challenge, completing the task in 10 minutes and 22 seconds with 336 points—160 points ahead of the runner-up—demonstrating the effectiveness of its Sim2Real training method.
  • The Games featured 280 teams from 16 countries competing in 26 events, with Unitree Robotics dominating track events, Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robots winning the 100-meter sprint, and Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University claiming football titles.

Galbot and Unitree Robotics claimed gold won gold medals at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, with Galbot securing first place in the Robot Skills Challenge and highlighting the rise of autonomous robotics. According to the the Beijing-based company, it outperformed 22 international teams, many of which relied on remote human control, by competing fully autonomously.

The event was the pharmaceutical sorting challenge, which simulated real-world medical applications. Galbot’s robot scanned, located, and retrieved medications from shelves, then delivered prescriptions to containers with speed and accuracy. It finished the task in 10 minutes and 22 seconds, scoring 336 points—160 points ahead of the runner-up, the company noted

According to the company, the victory validates Galbot’s Sim2Real training approach, which uses large-scale synthetic data and fine-tuning with limited real-world input. Already deployed in more than 10 pharmacies in Beijing, with expansion plans for 100 by year’s end, Galbot’s technology is also being tested in healthcare and retail environments. The company pointed out in a statement that industry observers said the win signals humanoid robots are moving beyond novelty to practical service, bringing autonomous machines closer to widespread deployment.

Unitree Robotics dominated the track events, capturing gold in the 1,500 meters, 400 meters, 4×100-meter relay, and 100-meter hurdles, Global Times reported. In the sprint competition, Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robots’ Tiangong Ultra secured victory in the 100 meters, finishing with a time of 21.50 seconds.

On the football field, Tsinghua University’s Hephaestus team triumphed in the 5v5 final, edging out Germany’s HTWK Robotics+Nao Devils with a 1-0 win to take the championship. Meanwhile, China Agricultural University’s Mountain & Sea team claimed the title in the 3v3 football tournament, rounding out a strong showing for host-nation competitors.

The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games ran from August 14 to 17 at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, bringing together 280 teams from 16 countries to compete in 26 athletic and skills-based events. Designed to test adaptability and decision-making, the contests showcase how robots are moving from lab prototypes toward large-scale deployment in industries, healthcare, and homes.

Greg Bock

Greg Bock is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than 25 years of experience in print, digital, and broadcast news. His reporting has spanned crime, politics, business and technology, earning multiple Keystone Awards and a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters honors. Through the Associated Press and Nexstar Media Group, his coverage has reached audiences across the United States.

Share this article:

AI Insider

Discover the future of AI technology with "AI Insider" - your go-to platform for industry data, market insights, and groundbreaking AI news

Subscribe today for the latest news about the AI landscape