A half marathon was held in Beijing, China, with human runners and robots competing on a 21.1 km course, separated into different lanes, with the human rules remaining the same, and robots undergoing battery swaps along the course.
The event was won by a robot called Tiangong Ultra in just over 160 minutes, but required three battery changes, and fell over once.
Of the 21 robots that started, only six made it to the finish line, while it is presumed more than six of the 12,000 human runners completed the course.
This reinforces the belief that humans don’t need to worry about being outperformed by robots just yet, but they are getting better all the time.
This event showcases the potential future use of robots in endurance races, while also highlighting current limitations, such as battery life and susceptibility to damage.
Awards were also given for aspects such as gait design and design innovation.
