Humans raced against humanoid robots for the first time in a half-marathon in Beijing, China on Saturday, the 19th of April. Even though humanoid robots have made appearances in marathons across China over the past year, this was the first time they competed alongside humans.
Robots in various shapes and sizes, ranging from just under four feet (120 cm) to as tall as 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) took part in the race. As a precaution, a barrier that ran parallel to the human runners divided the race course for humans and machines.
While people contested in the half-marathon under conventional rules, the robots had tailored guidelines which included battery change pit stops. The organizers labelled the competition as being similar to a race car competition, owing to the need for engineering and accompanied navigation teams.
Long way to go
While the fastest men’s participant completed the half-marathon in 1 hour and two minutes, the humanoid winner – Tiangong Ultra, from the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics – finished the race in 2 hours and 40 minutes; a long way to go before catching up with its human counterpart. Various awards were also given out for best gait design, endurance and innovative form.
The good, the bad and the machines
He Sishu, a spectator who works in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) said, “The robots are running very well, very stable … I feel I’m witnessing the evolution of robots and AI”. While the Chinese government is banking on avenues like robotics to generate channels for economic growth. However, the event also garnered criticism for the same, as questions were raised regarding the involvement of robots in marathons as a valid indicator of their industrial capabilities.
Among the 20 competitors that fielded humanoid robots in the event, many focused on humanness, with teams making their robots wear shoes, boxing gloves and even a headband that read ‘Bound to Win’ in Chinese. Another team boasted that their robot looked ‘almost’ human, with its feminine appearance and ability to wink and smile.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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