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The Guardian
19-04-2025
- The Guardian
China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon for first time
Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday, the first time these machines have raced alongside humans over a 21-kilometre (13-mile) course. The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120cm (3ft 9in), others as tall as 1.8m (5ft 9in). One company boasted that its robot looked almost human, with feminine features and the ability to wink and smile. Some firms tested their robots for weeks before the race. Beijing officials have described the event as more akin to a race car competition, given the need for engineering and navigation teams. 'The robots are running very well, very stable … I feel I'm witnessing the evolution of robots and AI,' said spectator He Sishu, who works in artificial intelligence. The robots were accompanied by human trainers, some of whom had to physically support the machines during the race. A few of the robots wore running shoes, with one donning boxing gloves and another wearing a red headband with the words 'Bound to Win' in Chinese. The winning robot was Tiangong Ultra, from the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, with a time of 2hr 40min. The men's winner of the race had a time of 1hr 2min. The centre is 43% owned by two state-owned enterprises, while tech giant Xiaomi's robotics arm and leading Chinese humanoid robot firm UBTech have equal share in the rest. Tang Jian, chief technology officer for the robotics centre, said Tiangong Ultra's performance was aided by long legs and an algorithm allowing it to imitate how humans run a marathon. 'I don't want to boast but I think no other robotics firms in the West have matched Tiangong's sporting achievements,' Tang said, adding that the robot switched batteries just three times during the race. Some robots, like Tiangong Ultra, completed the race, while others struggled from the beginning. One robot fell at the starting line and lay flat for a few minutes before getting up and taking off. One crashed into a railing after running a few metres, causing its human operator to fall over. Although humanoid robots have made appearances at marathons in China over the past year, this is the first time they have raced alongside humans. China is hoping that investment in frontier industries like robotics can help create new engines of economic growth. Some analysts, though, question whether having robots enter marathons is a reliable indicator of their industrial potential.
Al Jazeera
19-04-2025
- Science
- Al Jazeera
Humans outrun robots at Beijing half-marathon
Humans took the lead over robots and kept it easily as they raced to victory at Beijing's Yizhuang half-marathon. Thousands of runners joined 21 humanoid robot rivals in a world-first 21km (13 miles, 352 yards) challenge in the Chinese capital on Saturday. But not every bot was up to the task. One collapsed moments after the starting gun and lay motionless for minutes before regaining its feet. Another slammed into a barrier after only a few strides, taking its handler down with it. Some machines made it to the finish line but still trailed the humans badly. Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, clocked a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The men's winner finished more than an hour earlier. 'Generally, these are interesting demonstrations,' said Alan Fern, a robotics professor at Oregon State University, 'but they don't demonstrate much regarding the utility of useful work or any type of basic intelligence.' 'The robots are running very well, very stable… I feel I'm witnessing the evolution of robots and AI,' said He Sishu, a local AI engineer watching from the sidelines. Though technically in the race, the robots weren't exactly autonomous athletes. Each one came with a team of engineers, and some needed physical support to stay upright. Chinese firms like DroidVP and Noetix Robotics fielded bots of all shapes and sizes, with a few even donning boxing gloves and headbands. Officials likened the event more to motorsport than a traditional race. Tang Jian, CTO at Tiangong's lab, said they plan to shift focus to real-world tasks: 'A focus going forward will be industrial applications … so they can truly enter factories, business scenarios, and finally households.'
