World’s first humans v robots MARATHON announced with bi-pedal bots from 20 tech firms pitted against 12k living runners

CHINA is set to host the world’s first man vs robot half-marathon between two-legged robots and 12,000 human runners.

Dozens of bi-pedal bots from 20 different tech firms are expected behind the start line in Beijing in April for a technological test like no other.

A robot sprints to the finish line alongside humans at a half-marathon in Beijing last November, though did not run most of the raceCredit: Hnadout

Humanoid robots at the World Robot Conference. — Humanoid robots perform at the World Robot Conference 2023 in Beijing in 2023Credit: Alamy

Flipboard’s new app Surf adds its own video feed, too — Humanoid robots perform at the World Robot Conference 2023 in Beijing in 2023Credit: Alamy

Two robots playing soccer. — MaRobot soccer players compete during the RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2024 in Qingdao, China, last yearCredit: Rex

The engineering exhibition comes as China ramps up its efforts to prove itself as front-runner in the artificial intelligence (AI) race with the US.

Alongside the mechanical contenders will be 12,000 people to allow a comparison between the tech and its human models.

Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place as usual – but this time the medals could be hung around cold metal necks.

The competitors will run a a 21 kilometre (13 mile) route through the city.

The robots entered into the race are from different manufacturers in E-town – the state-level industrial area in Daxing district, with multiple industrial parks that support hi-tech industries.

And there are tight restrictions on the kind of bot that can enter.

The machines must be humanoid, meaning they bear a strong resemblance to human beings.

They must be able to perform bi-pedal (two-footed) walking or running, ruling out anything that uses wheels.

The bots must also be between 0.5 and 2 metres tall, and the maximum extension distance from their hip joint to the sole of the foot must be at least 0.45 metres.

Both remote-controlled and fully automatic humanoids are eligible to race and batteries can be replaced mid-dash.

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One of the most anticipated participants is “Tiangong,” a humanoid robot developed by China’s Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Centre.

Tiangong can run at an average speed of 10 km/h, and last year it made headlines by running alongside human competitors at the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing.

However, the upcoming race will mark the first time that humanoid robots will compete in the entire marathon from start to finish.

Another of the robots said to be “training” for the race is called Tien Kung.

This two-legged grey bot can maintain a steady speed of 6 km/h – so is likely to be outpaced by Tiangong on the day.

The event comes amid the push for humanoid development across China, with cities mapping out plans for key breakthroughs in robotic intelligence and body movement.

China has listed humanoid robots as one of the key sectors to drive self-reliance, power economic growth and gain a stronger position in the tech rivalry with the United States – which has sought to hobble its hi-tech access.