The over-21-kilometer half marathon course struck a perfect balance: challenging yet doable for runners of all levels. There were machine competitors (compete) in the world's first humanoid robot half marathon, held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) in the southeast of the city. silicon racers would soon compete on the same physical route as human runners, though on separate tracks.
"Think of it a car rally (汽车拉力赛) for robots," said Liang Liang, deputy director of the BDA management committee. The rules of the humanoid robot half marathon were closely like of a car rally, Liang noted. Teams combined AI autonomy with human oversight, dealing with (challenge) no machine had quite faced before: uneven pavements, communication drops the unpredictability of the outdoors.
"The event (serve) as a testing and demonstration platform, but more importantly, as a space for (develop), enthusiasts and companies to exchange ideas," Liang said.
At the Beijing E-Town half marathon, the Tien Kung Ultra robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center crossed the finish line in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. Noetix's N2 came in second, while a robot designed by Shanghai-based firm DroidUp (secure) third place.
Isn't the organizers' motto, "To compete is victory, to finish is glory," (fill) with Akhwari's story? Every small step these robots took on the marathon course represented a giant leap for China's technological breakthroughs.
