🏃♂️🤖 Imagine robots running a half-marathon just like people! That’s exactly what happened in Beijing’s E-Town. For the first time ever, humanoid robots competed in a 21.0975-kilometer race.
Meet Tiangong Ultra, the Robot Champion!
“Tiangong Ultra,” a robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won the race! It finished the half-marathon in 2 hours and 40 minutes, keeping a steady speed of 7 to 8 kilometers per hour. That’s like running a long distance at a jogging pace!
Challenging Course for Robots
The race wasn’t easy. The robots had to navigate flat roads and slopes with steepness up to 9 degrees. They faced six left turns and eight right turns, including tight 90-degree angles. This tested their balance and ability to move smoothly, just like when you play a racing game and have to make sharp turns!
The final 1.5-kilometer straight stretch was perfect for sprinting. It showed how the robots could adapt to different challenges.
Robots of All Shapes and Sizes
Twenty teams joined the race with robots of all different sizes. Tiangong Ultra was the tallest at 180 cm (about 5 feet 11 inches) and weighed 52 kg (about 115 pounds), similar to an adult human. On the other hand, the “Little Giant Robot” was only 75 cm tall (about 2 feet 5 inches) and weighed 10 kg (about 22 pounds), showing that robots can come in all sizes!
Why Is This Event Important?
This was the first time humanoid robots were tested in a long-distance race in the real world, not just in a lab. The event helped scientists and engineers see how robots can work in everyday situations. By testing robots in tough conditions, inventors can learn how to make them better.
This race could help create new robots that can move on their own and work with people in amazing new ways! Who knows, maybe one day robots will run marathons alongside humans!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
