Embodied AI developers conference concludes in Shenzhen

The Embodied AI Developers Conference (EAIDC 2026) and the "Ignite Embodied AI" hackathon wrapped up in Nanshan District on Monday, where winners were crowned.

Over 100 teams from top universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Zhejiang University, as well as from scientific research institutes and high-tech firms, competed at EAIDC 2026, testing their applications in real-world scenarios. Ultimately, eight teams stood out from 20 finalists to win prizes.

Teams compete at EAIDC 2026, testing their applications in real-world scenarios. Photos courtesy of EAIDC 2026

According to the organizers, in a departure from traditional lab-based benchmark testing, the competition was the world's first to rate contestants by putting them through full-chain tasks in real-world environments.

In other words, the robots, running on their own applications, had to navigate real-time, randomized environments in the real world and complete end-to-end tasks. Success required long-range planning, complex reasoning, and high-precision manipulation.

Robots complete tasks at EAIDC 2026.

Wang Qian, founder and CEO of X Square Robot, a co-organizer, said the threshold for developing embodied AI remains exceptionally high. He emphasized that building a robust ecosystem requires the collective efforts of a vast pool of developers.

"By providing venues, base models, and training facilities, the competition allowed developers to get hands-on experience within just three days, unlocking their potential under time pressure," Wang noted.

Looking ahead, Wang said the event will become a recurring fixture. By leveraging open-source platforms and integrated hardware-software systems, the initiative aims to unite global developers and offer them equal opportunities to come up with innovations.

Several keynote speakers and panelists from the internet and embodied robotics industry share the views.

During the conference, several keynote speakers and panelists from the internet and embodied robotics industry mentioned that embodied AI, no longer just a concept in labs, is pivoting toward real-world applications. The industry now urgently needs a platform to test the technical maturity of robots in real environments.

They agreed that embodied AI needs a real-world proving ground that can evaluate applications based on three key metrics: solving real-world problems, achieving true open-source collaboration, and achieving generalization.

The event was jointly hosted by Nanshan-based startup X Square Robot, the Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Association, and the Guangdong Embodied Intelligence Training Ground.