A fleet of humanoid robots showcased cutting-edge capabilities at the Beijing Half Marathon, outpacing professional athletes and breaking the human world record by nearly seven minutes, reflecting the rapid leap forward of China's robotics industry.
The Beijing E-Town Half Marathon, held today (19 Apr) in Beijing’s Economic and Technological Development Zone, stunned spectators as numerous Chinese-made humanoid robots ran at high speeds, easily overtaking human runners. This demonstrated their advanced physical performance and autonomous navigation systems.
This year's progress marks a significant leap from last year, when most robots faced technical issues and failed to finish. The previous robot champion clocked 2 hours and 40 minutes, more than twice as slow as humans. This year, participating teams grew from 20 to over 100.
The winning robot, developed by the smartphone brand Honor, finished in just 50 minutes 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record of 57 minutes 31 seconds set last month in Lisbon by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.
Tu Xiaoti, an engineer at Honor, revealed the robot was developed in only one year, with legs 90-95 centimeters long to mimic elite runners' physiques. Notably, it features a liquid cooling system borrowed from smartphones to regulate temperature during high-speed running.
Although the robot displayed remarkable speed, experts emphasize that the true objective is not just racing but testing "structural durability" and "technology transfer" for future industrial and manufacturing applications, especially in hazardous or precision-required tasks.
Zhu Tianqi, a 23-year-old engineering student and spectator, said, "The future world will undoubtedly be the era of AI. Those who do not learn to use or resist it risk being left behind."
Currently, the Chinese government is vigorously promoting policies to become a global leader in this field, providing subsidies and building supportive infrastructure. Earlier during Lunar New Year celebrations, China showcased robots from Unitree capable of performing Chinese martial arts and wielding weapons skillfully, underscoring ambitions to dominate the humanoid robot market and revolutionize global manufacturing soon.
. SourceReuters