Humanoid robots are being prepared for combat as China moves them from labs to military training grounds

August saw the World Humanoid Robot Games take place in China, where robots took parts in several events. The same month, Unitree claimed its Superman robot can run faster than Usain Bolt, although the figure has not been independently verified.

– Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) August 17, 2026

Reuters reports that two days after the Games ended, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper, the PLA Daily, called for researchers to accelerate the transfer of these technologies from laboratories to military training grounds. The good news is that while humanoid robots have come a long way since those slow, lumbering, ungainly early efforts that required a tethered connection to operators, we really are still a long way from seeing squads of marauding T-800 killbots marching across fields. They require a lot of energy, so can't operate for great lengths of time, and even the most advanced designs occasionally fall over, especially on rough terrain.

Robot powered by Qualcomm's new AI chip dies mid-presentation by u/SuggestionMission516 in singularity

However, China still has plans for how to use humanoid robots. It envisions them being used alongside robot dogs – something that ICE could soon use – and unmanned vehicles, an area that is becoming increasingly popular among global militaries. In a scenario described by a research paper last year, six combat robots – a mixture of humanoids, robot dogs, and unmanned vehicles – would be split up between two assault teams. Working with ground troops, the robots would clear an enemy-occupied building, floor by floor and room by room. The authors believe the equipment to make this a reality will be ready in 5 to 10 years.

Other proposed uses include reconnaissance, logistics, patrols, and operations inside tunnels and ships. State-owned defense company Norinco says its Fuxi humanoid can carry out sentry duties and all-weather reconnaissance, though it can also be remotely controlled instead of operating autonomously.