History just got sprintier! Over 9,000 runners and cutting-edge robots collided in Beijing this weekend for the world's first *humanoid robot half-marathon*. The star? Tiangong Ultra, a bot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, which crossed the 21km finish line in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds—faster than some of us after a Netflix binge.
"It only needed three battery swaps!" said Ren Yawei from the innovation center, proving robots might outlast our phone batteries soon. The event featured bots from nearly 20 tech firms, including silver medalist N2 (Noetix) and bronze winner Xingzhe-2 (Shanghai's DroidUp).
Why this matters? Imagine future marathons where robots coach runners or track climate data mid-race. This event hints at China's push to blend AI with everyday life—think delivery bots racing your Amazon orders or robo-tour guides hiking the Great Wall.
While the bots still have a ways to go to beat Eliud Kipchoge’s 1h59m marathon record, this race is a giant leap for robot-kind. Who’s ready for the 2030 Robo-Olympics?
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Chinese humanoid robot completes half-marathon in 2 hours 40 minutes
cgtn.com