Robot Marathon Run

Last Saturday, a half marathon was held in Beijing, China. About 12,000 runners took part. On a separate track, beside the human runners, 21 humanoid (human-like) robots tackled the same challenge. It was the first race of its kind. Despite the challenges, six robots finished the race.

Saturday’s race was held in E-Town, a technology center in Beijing. There have been robot races before, but not this long. A half marathon is 13.1 miles (21 kilometers) long. The distance was meant to challenge the robots, and allow their developers to see how the robots managed under real-life conditions.

The robots that raced were different shapes and sizes. The largest, called “Tiangong Ultra” was 5 feet, 8 inches (180 centimeters) tall. The smallest, called “Little Giant” was just under two and a half feet (75 centimeters) tall. To join the race, the robots had to run on two feet, like humans.

Each robot started at a slightly different time – a good idea, since some of the robots fell down right at the start. To give each robot the best chance, each traveled with support workers and a van holding supply parts and even replacement robots. (There was a ten-minute time penalty for replacing a robot.)

Support workers carried devices to control their robots. Some workers followed their robots; others led them. Some robots were kept on a leash. Workers helping faster robots had to jog the whole time. Those with slower robots just walked.