Latest news with #NoetixRobotics
Leaders
20-04-2025
- Science
- Leaders
In Photos: China Hosts World's First Robot Half-Marathon
Robots stepped boldly into history in Beijing, racing alongside humans in a groundbreaking half-marathon. This event, held in Beijing's E-Town, showcased China's drive to lead in robotics and AI technology. Dozens of machines tackled the 21-kilometer course, testing their limits in real-world conditions. A Milestone Race in Beijing Early Saturday, robots lined up as the Chinese song 'I Believe' echoed through loudspeakers. Human runners watched eagerly, phones ready to capture the moment. One small android fell but rose to cheers after minutes on the ground. Meanwhile, a propeller-powered robot crashed into a barrier, toppling an engineer. Still, the race marked a historic leap forward. Around 20 Chinese teams joined, featuring robots from 75 to 180 centimeters tall and weighing up to 88 kilograms. Some ran autonomously, while others followed remote guidance from engineers. The focus stayed on finishing, not winning, to evaluate batteries, motors, and algorithms. 'It's a major boost for robotics,' said Cui Wenhao, a 28-year-old engineer at Noetix Robotics. China's Tech Ambition Shines China aims to outpace the United States in AI and robotics, and this event proves it. For instance, DeepSeek's cost-effective chatbot gained fame in January, rivaling American tech. Additionally, dancing robots dazzled viewers at the Chinese New Year gala. Consequently, China strengthens its global tech standing. 'Robots taking the track is a giant leap forward,' said Liang Liang, E-Town's deputy director. Nearby, engineers ran alongside their creations, ensuring smooth performance. Kong Yichang, a 25-year-old from DroidUp, noted, 'This race builds a foundation for robots in society.' Indeed, it shows robots can blend into human life. Beijing's humanoid half-marathon signals a turning point for technology. As China pushes innovation, the world watches closely. This race not only tested robotic capabilities but also highlighted China's bold tech vision. Short link : Post Views: 91
Gulf Today
19-04-2025
- Gulf Today
21 robots join thousands of real human beings in Chinese half-marathon
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-km (13-mile) course. The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120 cm (3.9 ft), others as tall as 1.8 m (5.9 ft). 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. A robot attends the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon held in Beijing on Saturday. Associated Press "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. Wearing running shoes 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 Center of Human Robotics, with a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The men's winner of the race had a time of 1 hour and 2 minutes. A robot from DroidUp walks to the award ceremony after winning the second runner-up position. Associated Press 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 struggle 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. Attendees react during an award ceremony for the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon. Associated Press 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. Alan Fern, professor of computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics at Oregon State University, said contrary to claims from Beijing officials that such a race requires "AI breakthroughs", the software enabling humanoid robots to run was developed and demonstrated more than five years ago. A child interacts with a humanoid robot Noetix N2 after it finished the race at second place. Reuters Four legged robots perform before the award ceremony for the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon held in Beijing on Saturday. Associated Press "Chinese companies have really focused on showing off walking, running, dancing, and other feats of agility. "Generally, these are interesting demonstrations, but they don't demonstrate much regarding the utility of useful work or any type of basic intelligence," Fern said. Tang, the robotic centre's CTO, said: "A focus going forward for us will be industrial applications for humanoid robots so they can truly enter factories, business scenarios, and finally households." Reuters
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 Etihad
19-04-2025
- Al Etihad
China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon
19 Apr 2025 12:07 BEIJING (Reuters)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-km robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120 cm, others as tall as 1.8 m. One company boasted that its robot looked almost human, with feminine features and the ability to wink and 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 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 winning robot was Tiangong Ultra, from the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, with a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The men's winner of the race had a time of 1 hour and 2 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 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.
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Robots race against humans for first time in Chinese half-marathon
Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday, the first time machines have raced alongside humans over a 21-km (13-mile) course. The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120 cm (3.9 ft), others as tall as 1.8 m (5.9 ft). 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,' 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. Some robots 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. Alan Fern, professor of computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics at Oregon State University, said contrary to claims from Beijing officials that such a race requires "AI breakthroughs", the software enabling humanoid robots to run was developed and demonstrated more than five years ago. "(The robot half-marathon) is more of a hardware endurance demonstration," he said. "Chinese companies have really focused on showing off walking, running, dancing, and other feats of agility. "Generally, these are interesting demonstrations, but they don't demonstrate much regarding the utility of useful work or any type of basic intelligence," Fern said.
