No sweat: Humanoid robots run a Chinese half-marathon alongside flesh-and-blood competitors

BEIJING AP In one small step for robot-kind thousands of them really humanoid robots ran alongside actual humans in a half-marathon in the Chinese capital on Saturday The bipedal robots of various makes and sizes navigated the -kilometer -mile class supported by teams of human navigators operators and engineers in what event organizers say was a first As a precaution a divider separated the parallel courses used by the robots and people Related Articles El Camino Soundness implements AI robots in hospitals to improve efficiency Waymo expanding to South Bay including greater part of San Jose and gets SFO foothold AI robotics company shifts headquarters to San Jose office building While flesh-and-blood participants followed conventional rules the teams fielding machines in the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon competed under tailored guidelines which included battery swap pit stops The Sky Project Ultra robot also known as Tien Kung Ultra from the Tien Kung Crew claimed triumph among the nonhumans navigating the finish line in hours minutes and seconds Awards were also given out for best endurance best gait design and majority of innovative form