Manufacturers hope that humanoid robots, part of a field known as embodied intelligence, will soon be able to help people with everyday tasks or even do them autonomously.

Humanoid robots still take a long time to complete human tasks. Several startups in China are trying different ways to collect and use training data better.

There are more than two million robots working in China's factories - and they are scaling up fast.

The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games combine events modelled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, ​offices and in emergency situations.

A Chinese robotics developer tells CBS News humanoids won't turn against humans as they're just machines: "It all depends on who controls them."

Rapid advances in 3D cameras and artificial intelligence are making it possible for robots to recognize items and autonomously retrieve them, a development that could make factories more flexible in the future.

BEIJING, Aug 22 (Reuters) - It’s been called the Robot Olympics. But unlike the human Olympics, Team China is collecting almost all the medals. Over the past decade, robotic competitions in China have provided a window into the advances of a now-surging sector – and the importance of its success as a strategic industry singled out by President Xi Jinping.

Actuate drew 1,500 people to San Francisco as robotics investment surges, though hardware was scarce.