Robot half-marathon puts innovations to the test

The world's first humanoid robot half-marathon, with 20 robots running alongside thousands of human participants, was held in Beijing on Saturday, but it was just the starting gun for China's burgeoning robotics industry, according to executives and experts.

The marathon, despite some imperfect performances like an occasional stumble, proved that China's humanoid robots are moving from flashy laboratory demos to real-world scenarios. In the shadow of the United States' recent tariff hikes, China's advances in artificial intelligence and robotics may stand out as a potent counterstrike, they added.

In the 21-kilometer half-marathon, which tested the physical limits of even some human runners, six of the 20 robots managed to finish the race. Tiangong Ultra, standing 1.8 meters tall and weighing 55 kilograms, won the race with a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

Xiong Youjun, CEO of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the developer of Tiangong Ultra, said, "The goal wasn't just to cross the finish line, but to test key technologies through the rigors of a long-distance run, then improve technological breakthroughs, and finally, lay the groundwork for robots to enter factories and daily life services."

Xiong said the robots needed compact, heat-resistant joints, precise motion control and strong core algorithms to finish the race. The half-marathon also tested their stability, reliability, battery life and ability to handle complex terrain like slopes and turns.