In August 2025, Beijing played host to one of the world’s most significant and ambitious showcases of robotic innovation, the 10th World Robot Conference (WRC) and the co-located World Robot Expo (WRE), reasserting China’s role at the forefront of global robotics. With the central theme of “Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent,” the 2025 World Robot Expo brought together over 200 of the world’s influential robotics companies, delegations from more than 20 countries and regions, and an impressive spectrum of innovations across humanoid, industrial, service, and special robot domains. This comprehensive report delves into the latest developments, key participants, organizational structure, and the major intellectual, social, and industrial themes that shaped this year’s Expo.
Event Overview and Theme
The 2025 World Robot Expo, a flagship event within the broader World Robot Conference, ran from August 8–12, 2025, at the Beiren Etrong International Exhibition & Conference Center in Beijing. An immediate impression for visitors and virtual audiences alike was the Expo’s immense scale and internationalism: more than 1,500 cutting-edge exhibits, over 100 world debuts of new technologies and products, and participation from numerous Fortune 500 companies and academic leaders. The central theme “Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent” encapsulated the ongoing paradigm shift toward robotics enriched by artificial intelligence, embodied cognition, human-robot interaction, and real-world application diversity.
This theme was not merely rhetoric. Throughout the forums, competitions, and live demonstrations, it was evident that robotics’ evolutionary trajectory in 2025 is toward intelligent, adaptive, and collaborative machines seamlessly integrating into production lines, healthcare, education, consumer services, logistics, and entertainment. The Expo also served as a platform to address societal, ethical, and regulatory aspects of robotics, with open dialogues between policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and the public.
Venue and Logistics
Occupying over 50,000 square meters, the Expo was staged at the Beiren Etrong International Exhibition & Conference Center, located in the heart of Beijing’s Economic-Technological Development Zone. This venue stands as the dedicated, permanent location for the World Robot Conference, and is equipped with extensive facilities including two major halls, 12 conference rooms, specialized demonstration areas, media centers, and diverse amenities for large conventions. It is easily accessible by public transportation, with ample accommodations for both local and international visitors, and is proximate to Beijing’s high-tech and manufacturing clusters, optimizing logistics for exhibitors and collaborators alike.
A unique feature of this year’s Expo was the implementation of “smart” event logistics. Robotics solutions were employed within the venue itself: autonomous guides, cleaning robots, and service bots facilitated attendee navigation and safety, exemplifying how robotic technologies can be used to optimize real-world event management.
Participating Countries and Delegations
More than 20 countries and regions sent official delegations, with notable representation from China, the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, the UK, Israel, Singapore, Russia, Italy, France, Australia, and Brazil. Bilateral and multilateral collaborations were visible both at the organizational level (such as the China–Switzerland–Sweden cooperation forums) and in enterprise and university exchange programs. Delegations included government bodies (e.g., science and technology ministries), academic powerhouses, private R&D centers, and national robotics associations.
Strategic cooperation agreements and matchmaking sessions further advanced cross-border partnerships, especially in areas of humanoid robotics, artificial intelligence, standards/benchmarking, and supply chain enhancement. These initiatives reflected a shared recognition: the advancement of robotics is global in nature and requires coordinated efforts across nations.
Exhibitors and Companies Showcased
Major Exhibitors by Category
- Humanoid Robotics: Unitree Robotics, UBTECH, Boston Dynamics, CloudMinds, Agibot, Agilis Robotics
- Industrial Automation: FANUC, KUKA, ABB, SIASUN, Staubli, Yaskawa, Epson, SMC (China)
- Emergent AI Robotics: Shanghai Hi-Dolphin (COFE+), DeepBlue Technology, DJI, CloudMinds, Fourier Intelligence
- Service and Special Robots: SoftBank Robotics, Keenon Robotics, Pudu Robotics, ECOVACS, OrionStar, iFlytek
- Components and Research Institutes: Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Tsinghua University, Peking University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Paris-Saclay University
The Expo highlighted the participation of both dominant industry players and innovative start-ups, signifying a vibrant ecosystem where established OEMs and disruptive entrants can coexist and collaborate.
Global Partners and Sponsors included the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS), International Robotics Research Foundation, American Robotics Industry Association, Japan Science and Technology Promotion Agency, Russian Robotics Association, British Engineering Technology Society, Korean, Italian, Israeli, and Singaporean Robotics Societies.
Key Exhibitor Profiles
Unitree Robotics
Unitree has cemented itself as a leader in agile, high-performance humanoid and quadrupedal robots. At this Expo, their latest humanoid platforms not only secured victories in running, obstacle, and soccer events during the World Humanoid Robot Games but also served as technical backbones for numerous research and competition teams from around the globe. The H1 series, equipped with advanced AI and robust mechanical design, demonstrated new milestones in bipedal agility, dexterity, and endurance, clocking the best time in the 1,500-meter challenge. Collaborations with leading universities and integration with third-party software further highlighted Unitree’s open innovation approach.
Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology (COFE+)
The 6th-Generation COFE+ Coffee Robot earned status as one of the Expo’s most innovative and commercially promising products. As the first automated barista to combine AI-driven precision, one-customer-one-flavor customization, and full-process latte art and coffee printing, COFE+ captured industry and media attention. The robot’s successful deployment in over 1,000 diverse real-world venues marks it as a global leader in robotic café technology, with certifications and installations across 50+ countries. Its “Smart Shop Brain” management platform exemplifies how robotics and the Internet of Things converge for cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and scalable retail solutions.
UBTECH Robotics
UBTECH, already a household name for educational and service robots, revealed five brand-new humanoid robots with a focus on “Swarm Intelligence”—robots collaborating as intelligent collectives to accomplish increasingly complex real-world tasks. Their platforms, such as the Walker and AIMBOT, demonstrated choreographed performances, assembly-line work, and adaptive navigation, underlining UBTECH’s commitment to “robot+” applications beyond entertainment and into the smart factory, logistics, and healthcare domains.
Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics presented their latest mobile platforms, including Spot and Atlas variants, focusing particularly on industrial site inspection, logistics handling, and emergency response. Live demonstrations illustrated seamless integration with AI-based visual analytics and remote operation systems for hazardous environments.
Innovative Product Highlights
A defining feature of the Expo was the debut of over 100 globally innovative products, many unveiled publicly for the first time.
Table 1. Representative Innovation Highlights at WRC 2025
| Product | Category | Company/Developer | Key Features | Notable Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th-Gen COFE+ Coffee Robot | Service/AI+Robot | Shanghai Hi-Dolphin | AI barista, custom drinks, 3D printing, full-scenario use | Sets new standard for automated café retail; global certifications |
| H1 Series Humanoid Robot | Humanoids | Unitree Robotics | Fastest 1,500m, advanced balance, API for researchers | Supports robotics competitions and R&D worldwide |
| Swarm Intelligent Robots | Swarm/Industrial | UBTECH Robotics | Coordinated group behaviors, smart logistics, assembly | Next-gen manufacturing and warehouse automation |
| Surgical Phased Robots | Medical | Beijing University of Posts & Telecom | Automated surgical phase detection, deep learning | Precision medicine, surgical training, and hospital integration |
| Cleaning/Hotel Bots | Service | CloudMinds, Keenon | Autonomous cleaning, guest interaction, multi-lingual AI | Hospitality, healthcare, and event management |
| BCI Robot Arm | Brain-Computer | Research consortium | Real-time intention decoding, neuro-prosthetics applications | Breakthrough in assistive robotics for disabled individuals |
Each innovation was further contextualized within the Expo through real-world scenario demonstrations, live benchmarking, or competitive tasks. For example, AI-powered “hospital scenario” robots performed logistics and pharmacy duties, while competition robots dazzled the audience with their resilience in dynamic obstacle environments.
The COFE+ Coffee Robot, in particular, was praised for its unparalleled adaptability and fully remote intelligent management system. With precision control mechanisms capable of customizing each cup down to the microgram, and real-time operational adjustments through a mobile device, it revolutionizes the notion of “smart stores” and sustainable business models.
World Robot Contest Details
Central to the WRC ecosystem, the World Robot Contest (WRC Contest or WRCC) once again earned the moniker of “the Olympics of robotics.” This multi-faceted competition attracted a record number of contestants—nearly 4,000 elite participants from more than 20 countries, and nearly 150,000 contestants overall since its inception—spanning a rich spectrum of disciplines:
- Tri-Co Robot Challenge: Advanced control, dexterity, and manipulation in dynamic environments.
- BCI Brain Control Robot Competition: Brain-machine interface racers and dexterous manipulation controlled via EEG.
- Space Robot Contest: Tasks focused on simulated space station construction and repair.
- Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robot Games: Complex decision-making in unknown or dynamically changing scenarios.
- Robot Application Contest: Real-world commercial, industrial, and social application challenges.
- Youth Robot Design Contest: Fostering K-12 innovation and cross-disciplinary creative thinking.
The contest served as an experimental bed for both commercial and academic prototype testing, forging connections and technology transfers between academia, enterprise, and policymaking. Numerous competition solutions made their way to commercial product pipelines in healthcare, logistics, inspection, and even autonomous vehicles.
World Humanoid Robot Games
Arguably the most anticipated spectacle was the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG), held August 15-17, immediately following the main WRC. The National Speed Skating Oval (“Ice Ribbon”) venue vibrated with the energy of over 500 humanoid robots from 280 teams across 16 nations, including major delegations from China, the USA, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Australia.
The games covered 26 primary events and over 530 sub-events, categorized into:
- Sports and Athletic Challenges: Sprinting (100m/400m/1500m), long jump, high jump, relays, and obstacle courses, with Unitree robots achieving world-first sub-7 minute times in the 1500m.
- Soccer and Martial Arts: 3v3 and 5v5 robot soccer, freestyle combat, and coordinated martial arts routines.
- Performance Arts and Dance: Solo/group hip-hop, ballroom, and martial arts performances; robot “fashion shows.”
- Scenario-based Tasks: Sorting hospital drugs, handling factory materials, public cleaning—simulating integration into healthcare and industrial labor.
- Peripheral Events: Slam dunk, table tennis, exhibition matches, and open demos.
Strict technical regulations ensured only true bipedal robots, untethered and fully autonomous or semi-autonomous, participated. Many robots ran proprietary AI software or academic open-source stacks, inspiring rich data sharing and benchmarking among international research teams.
Forums and Keynote Speakers
Intellectual exchange at the 2025 Expo was orchestrated through the Main Forum and nearly 30 thematic parallel sub-forums, gathered under three arching focal points: industry development, technological innovation, and ecosystem building. These forums gathered over 500 experts across academia, industry, and policymaking, including Turing Award winners, CEOs, and directors from organizations such as KAIST (South Korea), SMC (Japan), JD.com (China), Paris-Saclay University (France), and Skolkovo Foundation (Russia).
Major topics included:
- Embodied intelligence and LLM integration with robots
- Humanoid robot ecosystem and benchmarks
- Real-world deployment of medical robots and exoskeletons
- Sustainability and green robotics manufacturing
- International norms, standards, and open-source collaboration
- Robotics in education, elderly care, and urban logistics
The WRC SARA (Symposium on Advanced Robotics and Automation), technically sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, presented top peer-reviewed research papers on topics such as sim-to-real humanoid locomotion, BCI-based control, precision medical robotics, and collaborative robot systems. Award-winning presentations covered advances in transparent object vision, surgery phase recognition through deep learning, and innovative actuation for exoskeletons.
Panels and matchmaking forums for international collaboration provided venues for real-time negotiation of bilateral R&D, seed funding ventures, and joint research agreements.
International Cooperation Initiatives
Global partnership and collaborative development formed the backbone of the Expo’s agenda. The WRC hosted the International Forum on Sustainable Development Cooperation of Robots, where government representatives and stakeholder organizations (e.g., United Nations SDG groups, IEEE, Robotics Industry Association USA) proposed frameworks for sustainability, ethical robotics, and industrial cross-border supply chain integration.
Notable initiatives included:
- China–Switzerland–Sweden industrial matchmaking
- China–UK Robot Technology Cooperation agreements
- China–Israel smart manufacturing bilateral dialogues
The publication of the “10 Trends in Embodied Intelligent Robots (2025)” and multiple joint white papers underlined the conference’s intellectual leadership in setting future standards and industry directions.
Applications of Robotics Presented
The range of applications reflected the growing maturity and versatility of robotic systems:
- Manufacturing and Industrial Automation: Next-gen cobots, flexible assembly lines, and AI-driven quality control; “Robot+” manufacturing highlighted entire supply chain integration.
- Healthcare and Medical Robotics: Surgical assistants, rehabilitation exoskeletons, hospital logistics robots, AI-driven diagnostic tools.
- Services and Retail: Automated cafes (COFE+), hotel robots, cleaning and disinfection robots, multi-lingual customer reception bots.
- Agriculture and Construction: Field drones, automated tractors, pattern-sorting harvesters, and site inspection robots.
- Logistics and Smart Mobility: Autonomous warehouse robots, last-mile delivery platforms, urban mobility aids.
- Entertainment, Education, and Elderly Care: STEM learning robots, humanoids for senior support, and robotic performance troupes.
Environmental sustainability, circular economy considerations, and human-centered design were recurring threads through these applications.
Statistical Data and Attendance
The scale and influence of the 2025 Expo are underscored by robust participation and coverage metrics:
- Attendees: Over 1.3 million unique visitors (cumulative, including virtual), comprising industry professionals, investors, academics, students, and general public.
- Exhibitors: Over 200 companies and more than 1,500 individual exhibits.
- Countries/Regions: Participants from more than 20 countries.
- Media Coverage: 1,555+ journalists reported on-site; 51,000+ press pieces issued worldwide; over 97 overseas media outlets and 282 dedicated international reporters for the Humanoid Games alone.
- Competitions: Over 4,000 daily contest participants, 150,000 since contest inception.
- Forums: 500+ side events and sub-forums across the conference period.
The Expo was described as the largest and most internationally diverse event in the field of robotics in China and among global leadings.
Media Coverage and Resources
The Expo’s public engagement benefited from seamless online/offline integration—livestreams, social media highlights, influencer-led exhibition tours, and on-site “experience zones.” Reports from KraneShares, CCTV, BBC News, and dozens of top international agencies amplified global reach, with special features on humanoid competitions, AI breakthroughs, and real-world case studies.
“Tech star” companies received ongoing feature coverage. For example, COFE+’s barista robots were featured worldwide, illustrating real-time operation, multilingual capabilities, and 3D latte art—providing both education and entertainment for global audiences.
Challenges and Sustainability
As ambitious as the Expo was in scale and impact, challenges—especially those related to data privacy, human–robot interaction safety, resource consumption, and ethical deployment—were openly discussed. Many presenters and forum participants emphasized the need for not just technological but also regulatory, legal, and social frameworks to govern the future of robotics.
A dedicated track within the forums outlined pathways toward green, recyclable, and low-carbon manufacturing, echoing commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Conclusion and Outlook
The 2025 World Robot Expo in Beijing served as both a mirror and a beacon for the robotics industry. It reflected surging advances in humanoid robotics, intelligent automation, and robot–human collaboration, and spotlighted China’s rapidly growing influence as a global hub for robotic research, manufacturing, and application. With participation from more than 20 countries, an unmatched scale of exhibits and competitions, and innovative breakthroughs that touch daily life and industry, the event not only mapped current progress but also set the agenda for the coming years.
The Expo’s international partnerships, deep academic–industry integration, and numerous high-impact debuts position it as essential for anyone invested in robotics—from researchers and engineers to investors and educators. The technology showcased and the discussions held vividly illustrated that a smarter, more interconnected, and more collaborative robotic future is not just possible but imminent.
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