BEIJING: China’s rapidly evolving robot competitions are turning science fiction fantasies into real world technology, as humanoid machines compete in sports and precision tasks at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, showing how quickly robotics has moved from university laboratories to everyday applications. Once viewed mainly as academic experiments and hobby projects, China’s robot contests have developed into a major technology showcase. Over decades, the competitions have reflected the country’s growing ambition to become a global leader in robotics and advanced manufacturing. The journey began with relatively simple machines. From 1999 through 2014, college teams competed in events featuring…