A relay race at World Humanoid Robot Games, August 17 2025, Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images News Robots come in a vast array of shapes and sizes. By definition, they’re machines that perform automatic tasks and can be operated by humans, but sometimes work autonomously – without human help. Most of these machines are built for a specific purpose: think of the puck-shaped robot vacuum or a robotic assembly arm in a factory.