The first robot Olympics has kicked off in China on Friday and brought together humanoid machines from 280 teams across 16 countries, including the US, Japan and Germany.

Officially known as the World Humanoid Robot Games, the three-day event is being held in Beijing and will include a variety of sporting activities, including track and field and football, as well as “scenario events”, such as sorting medicine and handling cleaning materials.

According to the Beijing municipal government, there will also be “peripheral events”, which will include “freestyle combat, slam dunk, and more”.

During the opening ceremony held on Thursday evening, more than 100 of the participating teams gathered at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval to take part in “exciting robot street dance and opera

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