On August 19, the 2026 World Robot Conference, themed "Human-Machine Symbiosis, Synergy of Industry and Demand," officially kicked off in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. Comprising six major segments—the opening ceremony, a series of forums, an expo, a robot competition, concurrent supporting events, and the closing ceremony—the conference has garnered robust support from 30 international organizations. The event features seven main forums and 70 concurrent thematic sessions, bringing together over 500 prominent industry leaders from home and abroad. More than 300 high-quality robotics enterprises from across the globe are showcasing over 3,000 cutting-edge exhibits. Meanwhile, 17,802 contestants from 26 countries are competing on the global stage, marking steady growth in the competition's scale, internationalization, and industry influence.
As the core segment of the conference, the Main Forum runs from the afternoon of August 19 to August 22, focusing on cutting-edge trends, technological breakthroughs, and practical applications in the robotics industry. This year's conference innovatively introduces four special themed days: Launch Day, Procurement Day, Developer Day, and Public Open Day. On August 19, the first Launch Day saw the official release of the "2026 Humanoid Robot Industry Development Report," the inauguration of the "World Model Expert Committee of the Chinese Institute of Electronics," and the signing ceremony for the cooperative development of the Innovation Application Platform for Real-World Training Scenarios of Embodied Intelligent Robots. Additionally, the "Global Robot Application Exploration Initiative" was launched.
In terms of new product launches, several companies have unveiled major technological breakthroughs. Xianglu Robot globally debuted three cooking robot product lines, including a multimodal cooking AI foundation model, the Embodied Cooking Robot "Live-Fry Ark," and a 3K vision AI wok robot. It also collaborated with Jingdezhen's cultural and tourism IP "Chicken Cutlet Brother" to challenge the rapid mastery of eight major Chinese cuisines in just two hours. Tujian Technology launched the TachinGlove flexible tactile data collection glove and open-sourced the first batch of full-hand tactile embodied datasets. Octopus Power simultaneously unveiled the SYNWorld embodied-native general world foundation model, the OctoH-Hand 23-DOF biomimetic tendon-driven dexterous hand, and the OctoSense next-generation embodied data collection solution.
The expo has expanded from three halls in previous years to four themed exhibition halls, providing comprehensive coverage of the entire robotics industry chain. The Smart Innovation Hall (Hall C), spanning 20,000 square meters, focuses on new technologies and emerging forces in the industry. Leading enterprises such as Unitree Robotics, UBTECH, and Galbot are showcasing cutting-edge achievements in humanoid robots and embodied intelligence. For the first time, a Central SOE Zone has been set up in the hall, where 49 central state-owned enterprises showcase their overall layouts across 12 major application scenarios. JD.com has also created a super themed exhibition zone to demonstrate the "new paradigm of future human-machine symbiosis." The Smart Integration Hall (Hall B) gathers well-known domestic companies like ZQ Robotics and Star Era, along with international giants such as AMD and Infineon, to showcase technical solutions in core fields. The Smart Manufacturing Hall (Hall A) brings together robot manufacturers like Beijing Jingcheng Electromechanical, ROKAE, and Haier Group, as well as core component companies like Leaderdrive, highlighting innovative breakthroughs across the upstream and downstream industry chain. The Smart Experience Hall (Hall D) focuses on fun and engaging technological experiences. Companies like Accelerating Evolution bring exclusive robot performances, vividly demonstrating advantages in motion control and intelligent interaction.
Held concurrently, the Grand Final of the 2026 World Robot Competition has attracted 17,802 contestants from over 6,000 teams across 26 countries. The Symbiotic Robot Challenge focuses on assessing the collaborative operational capabilities of UAV aerial photography and ground-based embodied intelligent systems. The Brain-Controlled Robot Competition has drawn over 2,000 participants from more than 150 universities. The Youth Robot Design Competition covers 25 categories and 61 competition tracks, attracting a cumulative total of over 300,000 primary and secondary school students throughout the year.
To bridge the "last mile" in bringing technology to the consumer market, the conference concurrently hosts the second "E-TOWN Robot Consumer Festival." The event features a newly created 9,600-square-meter immersive robot retail promenade with nearly 100 booths, showcasing over 50 robot experience devices tailored for education, elderly care, and home scenarios. The special fund for boosting consumption has been increased from 15 million RMB in the first edition to 18 million RMB, with a strong focus on the AI and embodied intelligence sectors. Six major commercial districts, including Longfor Beijing Yizhuang Paradise Walk, have partnered with nearly 600 merchants to launch consumer-friendly promotions, supported by 3.5 million RMB in co-branded mall coupons. Additionally, JD.com has set up a dedicated online zone featuring over 600 robot-related products, accompanied by special subsidies and live-streaming sales.
Continuing its public welfare initiatives, the conference offers free admission to visitors under 18 and those aged 60 and above during the Public Open Day on August 22 and 23. The conference has also newly launched three industrial technology study tour routes: "AI Intelligent Exploration," "Chasing the Space Dream," and "Smart Driving the Future." Relying on autonomous minibuses for a seamless one-ride immersive tour, these routes provide a novel experience for public science popularization and parent-child educational tours.