China to host world's first human-robot marathon

                         China to host world's first human-robot marathon

For the first time in history, a robot-human marathon is going to be held. This marathon will be held in the Daxing Administrative District of Beijing, China's capital, in April.

According to the Chinese media South China Morning Post, dozens of humanoid robots made by 20 companies and 12,000 human athletes will participate in this 21-kilometre marathon.

The Economic-Technical Development Area, one of the administrative organisations based in Beijing, is the main organiser of this race. The Chinese media South China Morning Post reported in a report that the robots will look like humans and will not run on wheels but like humans. The size of these robots will be at least 1 foot 6 inches to 6 feet 5 inches. The distance from the legs to the heads of the robots will be at least 45 centimetres.

China is preparing to host the world’s first marathon that will feature both human and robot runners. At least a dozen humanoid robots are expected to compete with 12,000 human athletes in the half-marathon (21 km) scheduled for April in Beijing’s Daxing district, with the top three runners receiving prizes, according to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The marathon will feature both remote-controlled and un-remote-controlled robots. Operators will be able to change their batteries as needed during the race.

China’s “robot star,” Tiangong, is taking part in the marathon. The humanoid robot was developed by a Chinese company called the Embodied Artificial Intelligent Robotics Innovation Centre. Tiangong can run at a speed of 10km per hour.

Tiangong made headlines last year after participating in the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing, where it ran alongside human competitors at both the start and finish lines. However, it was not a race. In April, the first-ever race between humans and humanoid robots will take place. It will run the entire race.

The initiative comes at a time when China is facing demographic challenges, including an ageing population and a shrinking working-age population. However, China has invested heavily in automation and robotics in recent years. As part of its competition with the United States, the country’s ruling Communist government has identified humanoid robots as a key component in boosting self-reliance and economic growth.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, Chinese consumers purchased 276,288 robots in 2023, accounting for 51 percent of the world’s total. Beijing is also planning a sports tournament next August, where humanoid robots will compete in track and field, football, and other skill-based challenges.