On Saturday, China held the world’s first half-marathon where humanoid robots ran together with human runners. This event was a way to show how much progress China has made in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, especially as it competes with the United States in these areas.
A total of 21 humanoid robots joined the race, which was 21 kilometers long. They ran through the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, each accompanied by their human team from top universities and tech companies.
People gathered on the sidewalks to watch the robots of different shapes and sizes run alongside humans. The robots started the race one by one, each spaced more than a meter apart, and stayed in special tracks. During the race, their batteries were changed just like pit stops in Formula 1 racing.
At the end of the race, awards were given not just for speed, but also for categories like Best Endurance, Best Gait Design, and Most Innovative Design.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua shared videos of the event, including a robot wearing a black sunhat and white gloves. However, not everything went smoothly—some robots had trouble at the beginning and even fell down.
Among the 20 robot teams, a robot named Tiangong Ultra from the Tiangong Team finished first with a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. This was slower than the men’s human winner, Elias Desta from Ethiopia, who finished in 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Xiong Youjun, the CEO of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, said the robot race tested important AI abilities like staying balanced and handling slopes and turns.
Experts believe China’s humanoid robot market could grow to around 870 billion yuan (about 119 billion US dollars) by 2030.
“This race is just the beginning,” said Liang Liang, a local government official. “These small steps by robots today could lead to big advances in the future.”
Zhao Fuming, from the Beijing Marathon Association, said that because the robots are different in size and weight, they could be used in many areas in the future—such as manufacturing, education, and healthcare.
He added that robots don’t always have to be runners. In future marathons, they could help with safety checks or other tasks.
Overall, the event was a way for China to highlight its growing strength in AI and robotics as it competes globally in new technologies.
Source: metrovaartha
