China Challenges Humans with Humanoid Robots in Half-Marathon Showdown

By Eduardo Baptista

BEIJING () – On Saturday, twenty-one human-shaped robots participated alongside thousands of runners in the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing. This marked the inaugural event where such machines competed side-by-side with humans across a 21-kilometer (13-mile) racecourse.

Robots produced by Chinese companies like DroidVP and Noetix Robotics varied widely in appearance, ranging from models under 120 centimeters (3.9 feet) tall to those reaching up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet). A firm claimed proudly of their creation, noting it had nearly lifelike qualities including female characteristics along with the capability to blink and grin.

Several companies put their robots through extensive testing over multiple weeks prior to the race. Authorities from Beijing characterized the event as resembling more of a Formula One-style competition due to the necessity for specialized engineering and navigational support teams.

In the last year, humanoid robots have been present at marathons in China without participating in races. However, this marks their first participation as runners alongside human participants.

China aims to stimulate economic growth through investments in cutting-edge sectors such as robotics. However, some experts remain skeptical about using robots' participation in marathons as an accurate measure of their potential impact on industry.

Alan Fern, a professor specializing in computer science, artificial intelligence, and robotics at Oregon State University, stated that despite assertions made by Chinese authorities claiming the necessity for "AI advancements" in this competition, the software needed to enable human-like robots to run has been both created and showcased over five years prior.

He mentioned that it is more like a hardware durability showcase.

Chinese firms have truly emphasized demonstrating skills such as walking, running, dancing, and various acts of agility.

"Generally, these are interesting demonstrations, but they don't demonstrate much regarding the utility of useful work or any type of basic intelligence," Fern said.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Tom Hogue)