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China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon for first time | Sport | The Guardian

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Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday, the first time these machines have raced alongside humans over a 21km course. The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidVP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 1.2m, others as tall as 1.8m. One company boasted that its robot looked almost human, with feminine features and the ability to wink and smile. Some firms tested their robots for weeks before the race. Beijing officials have described the event as more akin to motor racing, given the need for engineering and navigation teams. “The robots are running very well, very stable … I feel I’m witnessing the evolution of robots and AI,” said spectator He Sishu, who works in artificial intelligence. The robots were accompanied by human trainers, some of whom had to physically support the machines during the race. A few of the robots wore running shoes, with one wearing boxing gloves and anoth

1:04 Robots race against humans for first time in Beijing half-marathon – video Sport This article is more than 1 year old China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon for first time This article is more than 1 year old Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing Reuters Sat 19 Apr 2025 05.26 EDT Last modified on Sun 20 Apr 2025 00.29 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday, the first time these machines have raced alongsi

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