In Beijing, humanoid robots ran a half marathon alongside humans for the first time

A half marathon was held in the capital of China — for the first time, 21 humanoid robots started alongside thousands of runners. The race distance was 21 kilometers.

The robots from Chinese companies DroidUP, Noetix Robotics, and others differed in shape and size: from 120 centimeters to 1.8 meters. Some manufacturers even tried to make the machines' appearance as "human-like" as possible — with female facial features, smiles, and winks.

Organizers compared this event to auto racing, as each robot was supported by a team of engineers and navigators. Participants tested their "runners" in advance and prepared them for the route. Spectators noted that this became a clear demonstration of technological development and the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Some robots failed the test — one fell immediately at the start and lay there for several minutes, another crashed into a fence, knocking over an operator. Nevertheless, most of them reached the finish line.

The winner among the machines was the Tiangong Ultra robot from Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, which completed the distance in 2 hours and 40 minutes. This is two and a half times longer than the time taken by the male winner — 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Developers noted that Tiangong Ultra benefited from long legs and algorithms mimicking human running. During the race, the robot changed its battery only three times.

Although similar demonstrations have been taking place in China for several years, this half marathon was the first where machines ran alongside humans. Such experiments are more spectacular than practical, but they reflect China's ambition to become a leader in robotics and artificial intelligence. In the future, plans include developing industrial applications for humanoid robots — in manufacturing, business, and everyday life.

Source: reuters.com