In a race that was literally a case of ‘robots vs. humans,’ 21 humanoid robots trudged through a half-marathon in Beijing, proving once and for all that while they can semi-run, they can’t quite take the gold.
These titanium titans were on a 21-kilometer journey—about 13.5 miles, for those of us who measure our life choices in snacks instead of kilometers. And just to keep things exciting, each robot was accompanied by engineers who swooped in for battery swaps or to scoop them off the ground when they inevitably tripped over their own robot feet.
The star of the show? The Tiangong Ultra, which bravely completed the run in 2 hours and 40 minutes. To put that in perspective, the fastest human runner breezed through the same distance in just 1 hour and 2 minutes. Looks like the robots still have a bit of training to do—or maybe they’re just making a statement about their endurance being more about existential reflection than speed.
No wheeled robots allowed, as it turns out—apparently, a bot cruising by on wheels would make the event feel a bit too much like a race against a toddler in a power wheels ride. But hey, if your algorithms can keep the pace, why not have some fun?
So, what have we learned? Humanoid robots can run (sort of), but they’re going to need a few more upgrades before they take on Usain Bolt. What do you think—is the future of marathons going to be a robotic rivalry, or are we safe from our artificial competitors for now?
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