History was made in Beijing this weekend as the 'Tiangong' humanoid robot became the first of its kind to complete a 21.1km half-marathon—crushing the challenge in just 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds! The event, blending cutting-edge robotics and sports tech, marks a giant leap for AI-powered athletes.
Why This Matters:
Mission Accomplished: Tiangong navigated urban terrain, crowds, and weather shifts—all while maintaining balance at 15km/h.
Endurance Test: Experts call it a milestone in battery efficiency and motor durability for bipedal bots.
Global Spotlight: Over 20 international teams competed, but China’s homegrown tech stole the show.
Behind the Innovation:
Developed by Beijing’s Robotics Research Institute, Tiangong uses adaptive AI algorithms inspired by space exploration tech (hence the name, meaning 'Heavenly Palace'). Think Wall-E meets Olympic sprinter!
"This isn’t just a race—it’s a blueprint for future rescue and exploration robots," said lead engineer Dr. Li Wei.
While human runners still dominate marathons (the world record stands at 1:59:40), tech enthusiasts are already buzzing: Could humanoid bots join the 2028 Olympics? #RobotRevolution
Reference(s):
cgtn.com