- China humanoid race saw humans go head-to-head with humanoid robots in a thrilling 21KM half-marathon. The competition highlighted advancements in robotics and physical endurance. But who crossed the finish line first? Let’s dive into the exciting outcome of this remarkable race.
On Saturday, twenty-one humanoid robots competed in the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing alongside thousands of people. This was the first time humans and robots competed in a 21-kilometer race. The Straits Times claims that Chinese producers Droidvp and Noetix Robotics supplied the robots.
They came in all shapes and sizes for the China humanoid race, some were shorter than 1.2m, while others were as tall as 1.8m. One of the companies, which participated in the race, boasted that its robot resembled a human with feminine features and could wink and smile. Some firms had been testing these robots for weeks before they took part in the China humanoid race.
“The robots are operating smoothly and steadily. AI worker He Sishu, a spectator, remarked, “I feel like I’m seeing the evolution of robots and AI.” Throughout the race, the human trainers who accompanied the robots had to provide physical support.
Who Won the China Humanoid Race? Humans vs Humanoids in the 21KM Half-Marathon
Tiangong Ultra, a robot from the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, was the winner of the race. The robot finished the 21-kilometer race route in two hours and forty minutes. The men’s race winner, meanwhile, finished in one hour and two minutes.
It is important to highlight that two state-owned companies own 43% of the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, with the robotics division of tech giant Xiaomi and the top Chinese humanoid robot company UBTech holding an equal stake in the remaining portion.
“I don’t want to boast, but no other robotics firms in the West have matched Tiangong’s sporting achievements,” Tang Jian, chief technology officer of the robotics centre, said after Tiangong won the China humanoid race. He mentioned that the robot’s batteries were switched three times during the race.
Over the past year, humanoid robots have appeared at Chinese marathons, but today was their first time competing against people. Currently, the nation hopes to use these robots in frontier industries. Some analysts, however, doubt that the fact that robots can compete in marathons is a good sign of their industrial potential.
