Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday, the first time these machines have raced alongside humans over a 13-mile course. - REUTERS
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Humanoid robots raced against humans for the first time in a half marathon in China's Beijing on Saturday.
00:09The robots were accompanied by human trainers, who sometimes had to physically support the machines during the race.
00:16One of the robots fell over at the starting line and lay flat on the ground.
00:21Another crashed into a railing after running a short distance, causing its human operator to fall over.
00:29The winning robot Tiangong Ultra finished in two hours and 40 minutes.
00:34A long way to go before it can surpass the men's winner, who finished in an hour and two minutes.
00:40The race drew crowds of spectators, including He Xishu, who works in the field of artificial intelligence.
00:47There's a kind of sportsmanship, whether it's humans or robots, they are all exercising.
00:54It feels like I'm watching the development of machines, the development of AI.
01:00Although humanoid robots have made appearances at marathons in China over the past year, this was the first time they were competing alongside humans.
01:08The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as Droid UP and Noetics Robotics came in different shapes and sizes.
01:16Some were shorter than four feet, while some were nearly six feet tall.
01:21Beijing officials have described the event as more akin to a race car competition, given the need for engineering and navigation teams.
01:28China is hoping that investment in frontier industries like robotics can help create new engines of economic growth.
01:35Some analysts, though, question whether having robots enter marathons is a reliable indicator of their industrial potential.
01:42China is a real-time player of the world.
01:44China is a real-time player of the world.
01:45China is a real-time player of the world.
01:46China is a real-time player of the world.
01:47China is a real-time player of the world.
01:48China is a real-time player of the world.
01:49China is a real-time player of the world.
01:50China is a real-time player of the world.
01:51China is a real-time player of the world.
01:52China is a real-time player of the world.
01:53China is a real-time player of the world.
01:54China is a real-time player of the world.
01:55China is a real-time player of the world.
01:56China is a real-time player of the world.
01:57China is a real-time player of the world.
01:58China is a real-time player of the world.
01:59China is a real-time player of the world.