World's first human-robot marathon is happening in this country
What's the story
China is all set to make history by hosting the world's first human-robot marathon. The landmark event will be held in Beijing's Daxing district, this April.
Dozens of humanoid robots are expected to run alongside some 12,000 human runners in the half-marathon.
The move is a major leap in China's continuous push to advance artificial intelligence and robotics technology.
Guidelines
Participation criteria and race regulations
The participating robots have to meet certain criteria defined by the organizers.
They should be humanoid in shape, able to walk/run on two legs without wheels.
According to the official guidelines, the robots should be between 0.5 meters and 2 meters tall, extending at least 0.45 meters from the hip joint to the foot's sole.
Remote-controlled as well as fully autonomous robots can participate in this one-of-a-kind marathon.
Competition
Global participation and anticipated contenders
The marathon will include robots from more than 20 companies, covering a 21km route.
Companies, research institutes, robotics clubs, and universities across the globe have been invited to participate with their humanoids.
The top three runners will be awarded prizes.
One of the most awaited participants is "Tiangong," a humanoid robot created by China's Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center that runs at an average speed of 10km/h.
Leadership
China's dominance in global robotics
In 2023, China made up for more than half of the world's total robot installations with 276,288 robots deployed. This number highlights the country's dominance in the global robotics industry.
The upcoming human-robot marathon isn't the only such event China has planned this year. An August event where humanoid robots will compete in track and field, football, and other skill-based challenges is also on the cards.