Today, twenty-one humanoid robots participated in the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing, marking the first occasion these machines have raced alongside humans on a 21km route.
The robots, produced by Chinese companies such as DroidUP and Noetix Robotics, varied in size, with some standing shorter than 120cm and others reaching heights of up to 1.8m.
One firm claimed its robot resembled a human closely, featuring feminine characteristics.
Prior to the race, several companies tested their robots for weeks. Officials in Beijing likened the event to a race car competition due to the necessity for engineering and navigation teams.
Human trainers accompanied the robots, with some needing to physically assist the machines during the race.
A humanoid robot donned running shoes while being supported by technicians during the race.
Some robots sported running shoes, with one even wearing boxing gloves and another adorned with a red headband that read “Bound to Win” in Chinese.
The robot that triumphed was Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, finishing with a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. In comparison, the male winner of the race clocked in at 1 hour and 2 minutes.
The centre is partially owned (43%) by two state-owned enterprises, while the remaining shares are held equally by tech giant Xiaomi’s robotics division and leading Chinese humanoid robot company UBTech.
Tang Jian, the chief technology officer for the robotics centre, noted that Tiangong Ultra’s impressive performance was due to its long legs and an algorithm that enables it to mimic human marathon running.
A support technician tumbles as a humanoid robot collides during the race.
“I don’t want to brag, but I believe no other robotics firms in the West have achieved what Tiangong has in sports,” remarked Mr. Tang, stating that the robot changed batteries only three times throughout the competition.
Challenges for some robots
While some robots, like Tiangong Ultra, successfully completed the race, others struggled from the outset.
One robot fell at the starting line, remaining flat for several minutes before getting back up to continue. Another collided with a railing after just a few meters, causing its human operator to trip.
Although humanoid robots have appeared at marathons in China throughout the past year, this marks the first time they have competed alongside human participants.
China aims to foster new economic growth by investing in cutting-edge industries like robotics. However, some analysts question whether robots participating in marathons is a reliable sign of their industrial viability.
