A humanoid robot has finished ahead of human runners at a half-marathon in Beijing, a result that drew attention across China’s growing robotics scene.
The event took place in Yizhuang, in the south of the capital. Crowds lined the route. Robots and athletes ran on separate lanes to avoid any contact during the race.
Some machines moved smoothly, almost like trained runners. Others looked stiff, adjusting pace with visible effort in their motion.
The winning robot came from a unit linked to smartphone maker Honor. It used an autonomous navigation system and completed the 21-kilometer route in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. Its average speed reached about 25 km/h, according to state media reports.
That time beat the fastest human finisher on the day. It also came in faster than the current men’s world record of 57:20, held by Jacob Kiplimo.
The contrast with last year stood out. Earlier versions of the event saw frequent falls and long finish times. A few robots took more than two hours to cover the identical distance.
The number of humanoid robots exceeded 100 in this instance, compared to close to 20 last time. Jump points to growing interest and rapid one-off development of a sector. Not everyone watched without concern.
Among them, a student in the mass said it was a great horizon, as if one caught sight of something new. Another thing she talked about was whether automation is moving too fast for jobs in the years ahead. Some in the crowd looked down the road.
As things go, one audience member predicted that robots would soon complete chores such as
- House cleaning
- Caring for the elderly
- Jobs in dangerous work areas
May 2023, Robots and embodied AI investment in China up to–Yi Li 73.5 billion yuan, Industry and Policy Circle Strong Support. For many on-site, the race left a straightforward imprint. Machines are becoming faster, more durable, and better.
