Parallels in preparation for World Humanoid Robot Games and FIRST Robotics

     In Beijing, China, the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games just completed.  The three-day event provided platforms for 280 teams from academia and private industries in 16 countries.  The teams designed, built, and coded robots to efficiently complete tasks related to sports, like running, kicking, and striking; and non related to sports, like sorting and delivering items.

     The Humanoid Robot Games and FIRST Robotics are similar in that teams were challenged to construct products to perform their best with and against peers; all within the context of a competition.  Because of the competitive context, teams were challenged to apply STEM-focused skills of collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking within a timeframe.  Thus, the context of a competitive challenge helps individuals to stay motivated to learn new skills and apply them for improvement and progression.  When youth participate in competitive activities like sports and FIRST Robotics, the STEM-based skills stay with the students after the competitive experience; the students can apply the skills throughout life in both competitive and non-competitive situations.

     Karthik Kanagasabapathy, the Director of Programs and Strategy for FIRST Robotics Canada, famously preaches the following benefits of participating in competitions for youth:

• Learning how to compete is a skill that's not taught on most places.  You learn about expending maximal effort, how to rise about your opponent, determination, iteration, and never giving up.  Competition isn't just in sports, but in life (applications for post-secondary, jobs).  Students who learn to compete ethically in the right way, by rising above the competition instead of dragging them down, are the ones excelling.​
• Always strive to be better.  Perfection does not exist.  By chasing perfection however, one finds excellence along the way.  Always think big with big goals and big dreams.  

Sources:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/world/asia/china-humanoid-robot-games.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.98NM.8e29JBdfFzlC&smid=url-share
• https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/asia/100000010345761/china-robots-sports-competition.html
• https://youtu.be/MfC3JdkEVgQ
  

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