UBTECH-backed bot wins world's 1st humanoid robot half-marathon

A global technological milestone was reached in Beijing on Saturday as humanoid robots competed in a half-marathon for the first time. The robots followed the same route as human runners, but on separate tracks.

The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot powers toward the finish line during the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot, co-developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center and the Shenzhen-based robotics firm UBTECH, completed the historic 21.0975-kilometer race in two hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds, beating 20 other robot teams.

A total of 20 robotics organizations participated in the event, representing national-level teams, private enterprises, and university research groups. The robots varied widely in technology and design, from the 180-cm-tall Tiangong Ultra to the 75-cm-tall Little Giant.

The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot competes in the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday. Xinhua

The robots were accompanied by human trainers, some of whom physically supported the machines during the race. Teams were allowed to replace batteries and even swap robots in a relay-style format during the competition.

"Tiangong Ultra crossed the finish line about 30 minutes earlier than expected," said the center's CEO, Xiong Youjun. "All the robots today basically performed great in dealing with challenges such as turns and speed bumps. We made history together."

The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot bursts from the starting line at the launch of the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday.

Tiangong Ultra, which stands at 1.8 meters tall and weighs approximately 52 kilograms, maintained a pace of 6.2 mph (10 kph) during the race, with a maximum speed of 7.5 mph. It wore an orange sleeveless shirt with its name written on the left shoulder and specialized black running shoes.

Originally scheduled for April 13, the humanoid robot half-marathon was postponed to Saturday due to a high wind alert in Beijing that day, providing teams with more time to test and refine the structure and control systems of the robot runners.

The humanoid robots that took part in the race varied in height and weight because they are designed for deployment in different fields, including manufacturing, health care, and education.

Zhao Fuming, director of the Beijing Marathon Association, noted, "Robots highlighted the race indeed. More cities may learn from such an experience to integrate new concepts into marathons. However, robots may not necessarily participate as runners. They can also participate in security checks or other operational tasks."

Meanwhile, in the human race held Saturday, Ethiopian runners won both the men's and women's half-marathons. (SD-Xinhua)