China kicked off the three-day long World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday, looking to showcase its advances in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries.

But the robots had other plans. During soccer matches, four mechanical players crashed into each other and collapsed in a tangled heap of metal limbs.

Robots compete at the World Humanoid Robot Games in China, which showcased 280 teams from 16 nations.

It’s science fiction brought to life this week, as China hosts the world’s first ‘Robot Olympic Games’. Sounds like something from an episode of Star Trek or the Star Wars movie franchise, but the three-day event,

A video (top) features some of the robots in action on the first day. A running contest, for example, shows several of the bipedal-bots racing along a track at impressive speed, although one of the competitors clearly has trouble sticking to its lane.

Some of the humanoids' sporting displays were more comical than skillful - but we might not be laughing at them for long. | ITV National News