The first long-distance footrace to see humanoid robots competing against human runners will take place in China in April.
The half-marathon will be hosted by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, known as E-Town.
The competitors will be mostly human, with around 12,000 expected to participate, but humanoid robots representing more than 20 companies, research institutes, robotics clubs and universities will also take part.
The robotic competitors will need to meet certain criteria in order to take part in the race of around 13 miles (21 kilometres).
They must be bipedal, with a human-like shape, and move in a walking or running motion, with no wheels allowed.
They must also stand between 1.5 and 6.5 feet tall, leaving the way open for some miniature humanoid robots to take part.
Bipedal or humanoid robots present unique challenges in balance and locomotion, which is why there has been a lot of focus on developing four-legged quadrupeds, often referred to as ‘robot dogs’.
Humanoid robots are often designed more for interaction than rapid movement, but there have been advances in making robots that can walk and run like humans.
One robot competitor ran the final stretch of a half-marathon last year
One of the confirmed robot participants, named Tiangong, has already made headlines after participating in the Beijing Yizhuang half-marathon last year.
Far from finishing the whole course, however, Tiangong ran just the final 100 metres, earning a symbolic participants’ medal in the process.
Tiangong stands at 163cm (5 foot 5 inches) tall and runs in imitation of a human.
By April’s half-marathon, the robot is expected to reach speeds of up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) per hour.
This would be a reasonable speed for an intermediate human runner, though it remains to be seen whether that speed can be achieved or maintained.
In terms of ‘endurance’, the robots will be allowed to recharge during the race, and negotiating the whole course without mishap could be seen as a good result in its own right.
Other races in China have already seen four-legged robots acting as ‘pacers’ for human competitors.
Following April’s race, a whole programme of events is planned for August, which will see humanoid robots compete against each other in a range of sports, including football and track and field events.
Today’s news was brought to you by TD SYNNEX – the UK’s number one solutions distributor.
