From August 29 to September 2, a “futuristic Olympics” took place in Olympia, where humanoid robots showcased their abilities in boxing, soccer, and other demonstrations of skill.
While humanoid robots shuffled awkwardly and paused for battery changes, their creators and futurists at the event debated a key question: When will these robots be ready for everyday household tasks like tidying closets and washing dishes?
Even with the rapid progress of artificial intelligence in areas like ChatGPT, their physical counterparts—humanoid robots with human-like skills and appearances—lag far behind.
As the organizer of the International Humanoid Olympiad, Greek academic and startup founder Minas Liarokapis, told the Associated Press, “I really believe that humanoids will first go to space and then to houses … the house is the final frontier.”
The event featuring humanoid robots at Olympia was organized by Acumino and Endeavor, who brought not only smart machines but also a lineup of human speakers with global appeal.
Speakers at the event included Hon Weng Chong, the founder and CEO of Cordical Labs, who presented the “CL1,” a biological computer with human cells in its neural networks, and Luis Sentis, a professor at the University of Texas (Austin) and co-founder of Apptronik Systems, a manufacturer of humanoid robots for industrial and domestic use.
They were joined by Andra Keay, director of Silicon Valley Robotics, a key player in the global robotics ecosystem, and Stefanie Manzinger, a senior executive at technology giant NVIDIA.
Minas Liarokapis, CEO and CTO of Acumino, explained that the event’s strength lay in its focus on bringing together representatives from companies at the forefront of technology, rather than just academics. The 1st International Humanoid Olympiad (IHO 2025) brought together the entire robotics ecosystem, comprising manufacturers, educational companies, young enthusiasts, researchers, and participants in related competitions.
Robot demonstrations and participants in ancient Olympia
The Olympiad featured humanoids from various companies and research groups. These included:
- The “T1” model from the Chinese company Booster Robotics, which demonstrated its soccer skills
- Robotic boxers from Unitree, a company that recently won medals at the World Anthropoid Games in Beijing
- Industrial-use robots from Acumino and the Greek company Philon
- The “Nao” and “Pepper” robots from Aldebaran
- A fully functional robotic lower limb exoskeleton from the “Hermes” research group at the University of Thessaly
- The humanoid “Oli,” developed by China’s LimX Dynamics, which was presented online during a workshop highlighting the rapid advancements in the Chinese humanoid market.
The event attracted participants from over twenty countries, including Eritrea and New Zealand.
A symbolic setting and prospects
Hosted at the International Olympic Academy, the event did ot have competitive sports or prizes for the most skilled humanoids. Instead, it featured demonstrations, speeches, interactive workshops, and business meetings.
Liarokapis emphasized the poetic and symbolic choice of Olympia as the venue, a place where the human body and mind were first pushed to their limits. He stated that since humans will soon live with and even depend on these robots, starting their journey in such a historic location was a fitting choice.
He also expressed a commitment to a second Olympiad, likely to be held in Athens for easier access for international guests. When asked about the “holy grail” of robotics, Liarokapis pointed to reliability. He explained that high reliability is currently expensive and difficult to achieve, which prevents widespread commercial viability for general-use humanoids.
While useful robots already exist in logistics, industry, and surgery, they remain costly and require human supervision. Liarokapis concluded by suggesting that Greece should shift its focus toward hardware development to stay competitive in the evolving robotics market, as software production is becoming increasingly automated.
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