China hosts world’s first half-marathon race between humans and robots

Everyone has seen Terminator 2, when the baddie Terminator chases after a car, that fictitious movie moment has become a reality. Robots have raced against humans in a half-marathon for the first time.

Some 21 humanoid robots raced alongside thousands of runners around the 21km (13-mile) course in Beijing, China, on Saturday.

Some of the robots that took part were as short as 3ft 9in, while others were as tall as 5ft 9in.

They had to resemble humans and be able to walk or run – wheels were not allowed.

The winning robot was Tiangong Ultra, which crossed the finishing line with a time of two hours and 40 minutes, while the men’s winner of the race had a time of one hour and two minutes.

Tang Jian, chief technology officer for the creator of the robot, the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, said its performance was aided by long legs and an algorithm allowing it to imitate how humans run a marathon.

“I don’t want to boast, but I think no other robotics firms in the West have matched Tiangong’s sporting achievements,” he said.

He added that the robot’s battery was changed just three times during the race.

One robot fell at the starting line and lay on the ground for a few minutes before getting up and joining the race, while another crashed into a railing, causing its human operator to fall over.

The robots were accompanied by human trainers, with some physically supporting the machines during the race.

Several of the robots wore running shoes, with one donning boxing gloves and another wearing a red headband saying “Bound to Win” in Chinese.

China has dozens of robot companies and while some produce humanoid robots, others create robotic dogs.

Last year China’s People’s Liberation Army was shown using robodogs firing weapons from their backs during training exercises.