Humanoid Robot Beats Human Marathon Record in Beijing

A robot ran a half-marathon faster than any human. The robot finished in 50 minutes 26 seconds, beating the human record of 57 minutes 20 seconds.
By Newsroom | Technology, Beijing |

A humanoid robot, developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, has achieved a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds in a Beijing half-marathon, surpassing the current human world record. This event, held on Sunday, saw dozens of humanoid robots compete alongside human runners on a parallel course, showcasing significant advancements in China's robotics and artificial intelligence sectors.

The winning robot, named "Lightning," was among those utilizing autonomous navigation, a feature employed by approximately 40% of the participating robots. The remaining 60% operated via remote control. This marked a dramatic improvement from the inaugural race last year, where the fastest robot completed the course in over two hours and 40 minutes, with many failing to finish.

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The speed of the winning robot is particularly noteworthy, significantly outpacing the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds, set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo in March. Honor's engineer, Du Xiaodi, expressed satisfaction with the results, noting the potential for technologies like structural reliability and liquid-cooling to be applied in future industrial settings.

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The event, hosted at Beijing's E-Town tech hub, featured over 100 robot teams. While some robots encountered difficulties, such as falling at the start or hitting barriers, the overall performance indicated a rapid leap forward in robotic capabilities.

This display is being interpreted as a demonstration of China's accelerating push for dominance in robotics and artificial intelligence, occurring even as widespread commercial use of such advanced humanoid robots remains limited. The supply chain for robot components, including chips, sensors, and motors, reportedly overlaps heavily with that of the smartphone industry, suggesting potential synergies. Honor, a Huawei spin-off, has been actively investing in robotics, announcing a substantial commitment to the sector and developing companion devices for robot interaction. The development cycle for the winning robot, "Lightning," was reportedly completed in under a year, a pace considerably faster than the industry norm.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How fast did the humanoid robot run the Beijing half-marathon?
The humanoid robot, named 'Lightning,' finished the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This is faster than the current human world record.
Q: When and where did the robot's half-marathon take place?
The half-marathon event was held on Sunday at Beijing's E-Town tech hub. Dozens of robots competed alongside human runners.
Q: What does this robot race show about China?
This event shows China's fast progress in robotics and artificial intelligence. It demonstrates their aim to lead in these advanced technology areas.
Q: How does this robot compare to last year's race?
This year's winning robot was much faster than last year's. The fastest robot last year took over two hours and 40 minutes to finish.