CHINA HOSTS WORLD’S FIRST ROBOT-HUMAN RACE IN GROUNDBREAKING EVENT

Sat 19 April 2025:

China on Saturday held the world’s first humanoid robot race alongside human participants.

Chinese-made Tien Kung Ultra came in first in the half-marathon with nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes time.

The robot completed the 21-kilometer course without showing any visible signs of fatigue, state-run Global Times reported.

Nearly 20 robotic companies joined the race, including Unitree’s G1, Leju Robotics’ Kuavo and NOETIX’s N2.

For safety reasons, humans and humanoid robots were separated by barriers, and the robots were not subject to the same timing standards as the human runners.

The humanoid robots began the race one at a time, each starting at one-minute intervals following a gunshot signal.

Support stations were placed along the route to allow team members to perform maintenance on the robots, such as replacing batteries.

Some of the robots were fitted with specialized designs like hot-swappable battery systems for uninterrupted operation to endure long-distance running.

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Certain humanoids were also fitted with protective footwear, while others used abrasion-resistant attachments on their feet.

China has rapidly advanced in robotics and AI, driven by massive government investment and strategic policies like the 2017 New Generation AI Development Plan, aiming for global leadership by 2030.

It leads in AI patents and research papers, with breakthroughs in facial recognition, natural language processing, and large language models like DeepSeek, developed cost-effectively.

In robotics, China is the world’s largest market for industrial robots, with 339,970 units in 2016 and a 2020 robot density of 246 per 10,000 workers, nearly double the global average. Companies like Estun and Unitree are innovating in humanoid and collaborative robots, leveraging China’s electronics and EV supply chains.

AI is integrated into manufacturing, healthcare, and public safety, supported by over 40 AI-focused industrial parks. Challenges include ethical concerns, data privacy, and reliance on foreign chips, but China’s focus on industrial applications and talent recruitment fuels its edge.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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