Over the weekend, humans running as fast as they could were chased by robots through the streets of Beijing, China.
To be more specific, it was a half-marathon race, and the robots lagged far behind the humans.
On Saturday, China held what it's calling the world's first humanoid half-marathon. Over 20 two-legged humanoid robots competed alongside real human runners, according to state-run news outlet Beijing Daily, via CNN World. The teams were from Chinese universities and companies publicizing their humanoid robotics advancements, which China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has dubbed a critical area for competing with the U.S.
As CNN reports, local governments in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have invested an estimated $10 billion in developing humanoid robotics to compete with humanoids from U.S. rivals like Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, and Elon Musk's Tesla.
China may be closing the gap on developing humanoid robotics, but the robots competing in the half-marathon couldn't keep up with the human racers. The first humanoid, Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, crossed the finish line in two hours and 40 minutes. That was far behind the human winner in the men's category, who completed the half-marathon in one hour and two minutes, the outlet reported.
Robotics teams could re-up their humanoids with new battery packs and swap in replacement robots for a 10-minute penalty. Tiangong Ultra needed three battery changes and required handlers to run alongside it in case it fell along the zig-zagging route with mild elevations of less than nine degrees, said Beijing Daily.
Other robot competitors needed the same kind of human supervision, with some relying on leashes or remote controls. As evidenced in press photos from the event, some robots took a tumble. Others wore running shoes, sun hats, pinnies, and windbreakers. One humanoid robot sported a slightly terrifying human-looking head and face, with a chic bob, eyelashes, and makeup.
The robots didn't win the race this time, but China is looking to prove it's a serious competitor in humanoid robotics. Its eyes are on the prize for the future.
