London may be host to the Olympics and paralympics but Bristol is the place to be if you are a sporty robot.
26 teams from around the world are currently competing in the FIRA RoboWorld Cup
They are taking part in a range of games, including football, basketball and weightlifting.
It is the first time that the event has been hosted in the UK and organisers say that they have had a record number of entries.
The robots have also smashed a few world records along the way.
Marathon hopes
The Usain Bolt of the robot world comes from Singapore.
“The sprint world record was 42 seconds but Singapore has smashed that with 31 seconds,” organiser Dr Guido Herrmann told the BBC.
Unlike their human counterparts, the robots do not run 100 metres.
“It is three metres [9ft 10in] forward and three metres back,” explained Dr Herrmann.
Homegrown pre-tournament favourites from Plymouth University will compete against Singapore in the sprint final on Saturday and “still have a very good chance”, he said.
It could be shaping up to be the robot equivalent of super Saturday.
Another local team, from Bristol University’s robotics laboratory, is competing in the final of the marathon.
Competition is fierce in all disciplines
The event – a gruelling 42 metres – is going to be a challenge for Team Panther, as the entry is dubbed.
“To be honest we’d just be happy to finish the race. At the moment our robot isn’t walking very well,” confessed team member David Pollard.
The competition is made more difficult by the fact the teams have not been told in advance where the race will take place.
“A table-top is easier than a floor or carpet but the surface is yet to be decided,” he added.
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