
The future is here as China unveils plans for humanoid robots to compete against human runners in a half marathon this April.
The race being held in Daxing district of Beijing will feature dozens of humanoids alongside 12000 human runners, said the South China Morning Post.
According to the administrative body of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, or E-Town, robots built by 20 companies will participate in the 21 km race including “Tiangong”, a humanoid robot which has a speed on par with an average marathon runner or 10 kms per hour.
The robot had cheered on Yizhuang Half Marathon runners in Beijing last November, even sprinting with them at the finish line but this will be the first time humanoids formally participate in a race among humans, reports the Daily CPEC.
The basic requirements for the robots are that they should look like humans, be capable of bipedal walking and running and should not have wheels.
Other requirements include a height of 1.6 feet and 6.5 feet, with maximum extension distance from the hip joint to the sole being at least 0.45 metres. Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous robots will qualify and are allowed battery changes midway.
China is pushing for humanoid development in the country to gain an edge in tech rivalry with the US and to make up for a shrinking workforce caused by a declining and rapidly ageing population.
China also plans on using robots to provide caregiving support to the elderly with emotional companionship, health monitoring and intelligent household services. In 2023, China installed 276,288 robots, or 51 per cent of the world’s total, according to the International Federation of Robotics.