In Beijing, 12,000 runners are gearing up for a half-marathon, as many have before. The only difference this time is that their main competitors will be machines, rather than humans, a news outlet reports. The race, set for April, will see humanoid robots from more than 20 companies completing the full 21.1K race for the first time.
A half-marathon for humanoid robots is scheduled for April in Beijing, presenting an intriguing test of the swiftly advancing robotic technologies https://t.co/tBewmW6TCi pic.twitter.com/jchVrLD0r5
— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) January 16, 2025
Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town) is organizing the event. Participating robots must have a human-like appearance and be capable of using two legs for walking or running–no wheels are allowed. The machines, which can be remote-controlled or autonomous, also must be between 0.5 and two metres in height. Mid-run battery replacements are also permitted, due to anticipated battery life limitations.
The podium finishers–human or not–will be awarded prize money. Companies
In October, we saw a humanoid robot, Tiangong, racing the last 100m of the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing, and earning a medal for its achievement. A week later, a pair of quadruped robots made an appearance as pacesetters and cheerleaders at the Hangzhou Marathon in China, performing functions such as shaking hands, providing words of encouragement, playing music and performing backflips.
At the Beijing Yizhuang Half #Marathon on the morning of Nov. 10, the #Beijing humanoid #robot “Tiangong” entered the racecourse and crossed the finish line alongside the runners. #funinbeijing pic.twitter.com/DQM1zjxneK
— Beijing Daily (@DailyBeijing) November 10, 2024
Machines developed by major robotics companies, including Tesla, Boston Dynamics and 1X, will be lining up against Tiangong at April’s E-Town race, taking on the complete half-marathon distance for the first time. The robots’ speeds reportedly range from eight to 12 km/h. (A one-hour 30-minute half-marathon requires a speed of 14.07 km/h.)
The increasing prevalence of robots in China is a result of an aging population and a surge in demand for machines to provide assistance and care for the elderly. The need for automated machines in work environments also spiked due to a shrinking working population. The nation’s robotics industry is reportedly projected to reach US$54.6 billion by 2030.
