The winning robot, Tiangong Ultra, finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes. The men’s winner finished the marathon in 1 hour, 2 minutes|@XRoboHub|X
In a world-first, 21 humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at Beijing’s Yizhuang Half-Marathon on April 19, covering the full 21-km course.
These robots—ranging in height from 3.9 to 5.9 feet—were built by Chinese firms like DroidUP and Noetix Robotics to showcase the technology.
Some robots wore running shoes, one had boxing gloves, and another wore a headband that read “Bound to Win”.
High-tech meets human effort
The winning robot, Tiangong Ultra, finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes. The men’s winner completed the marathon in 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Tiangong Ultra was developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, partly owned by state firms. Engineers credited its success to its long legs and human-like running algorithms.
Not all robots performed well. Some did not even finish the marathon. Still, the race revealed advances in wireless tracking, stability, and endurance, despite limits in battery life and coordination.
China aims for mass production by 2025. According to CNN, the country has invested roughly $10 billion in the tech in the past three years. It aims to catch up with the US in humanoid robotics.
However, the Southeast Asian country’s dependence on Nvidia chips could hamper development; the US has imposed export restrictions over national security concerns.