Robots that work, play and even tackle the laundry go on show in Beijing

More than 300 companies are showing machines that sort parcels, assemble car parts, help around the home and fight each other as the World Robot Conference puts the latest humanoid technology to the test

Robots that sort parcels, assemble car parts, play table tennis and even try to fold the laundry are being put through their paces at one of the world’s biggest robotics shows.

The 2026 World Robot Conference is under way in Beijing with more than 300 exhibitors displaying upwards of 2,000 exhibits and launching more than 150 new products over five days.

While humanoid robots are the stars of the show, manufacturers are increasingly trying to prove they can do more than dance, box and perform stunts.

Machines on display are sorting parcels, packing mobile phones and carrying out household chores, while others are being developed for factories, warehouses, healthcare and care of older people.

Chinese manufacturer Zoomlion is demonstrating humanoids carrying out jobs including rear-view mirror pre-assembly, sorting irregular objects and handling wire harnesses.

Another exhibit, the Vbot humanoid, is designed to pick up, deliver and organise household items and operate home appliances, while LimX Dynamics’ 160cm Luna can run, jump and perform backflips as well as respond to speech and gestures.

Unitree robots have been boxing, dancing and playing table tennis with visitors, while robot dogs and lifelike humanoids designed to offer emotional companionship have also drawn crowds.

One demonstration also showed how far the technology still has to go when a robot spent several minutes attempting to fold a shirt before ultimately failing.

Leju said its machines are being used to move boxes and load components in European factories and Chinese car plants, while Robotera said more than 100 of its parcel-sorting robots were operating across 15 warehouses in China.

DexForce is also demonstrating humanoids that pack mobile phones into boxes, a task the company says its machines are already performing at a factory supplying components to Apple and Huawei.

But the industry’s ultimate ambition is to create robots capable of walking into unfamiliar homes or workplaces and carrying out a wide range of jobs without being individually programmed for each one.

Zoomlion said: “These robotic products reflect Zoomlion’s application of embodied intelligence to address practical manufacturing pain points such as flexible sorting, precision assembly and wire-harness handling, with each robot configured for the requirements of its assigned task.”

China is already by far the biggest force in the emerging humanoid market. An industry report released during the conference said more than 40,000 humanoid robots were delivered in the country during the first half of this year, accounting for 97 per cent of global shipments.

The World Robot Conference, which began on Wednesday, runs until Sunday, August 23.

READ MORE: Humanoid robots could become the next K-pop stars. South Korean entertainment company plans machines that can perform music, model fashion and appear in thousands of live shows.

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_{Main image: A Zoomlion humanoid robot performs rearview-mirror pre-assembly at the World Robot Conference. Credit: Zoomlion}