They were trailing behind their human rivals a year ago. But on Sunday, an android outpaced the entire field to run a half-marathon faster than even the quickest human.
Lightning, a running robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, finished the 21-kilometer run in Beijing in a stunning 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human world record by more than six minutes.
The human record – of 57 minutes and 20 seconds – is held by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo, according to World Athletics.
Swinging its short forearms for balance, the bright-red humanoid, standing 169cm tall, showed no sign of having to slow down as it dashed past the finish line.
The remarkable feat represents a big stride for China in its technological rivalry with the US, which has thus far boasted more sophisticated humanoid models.
China’s robot industry has accelerated since 2015, when the government listed robotics as one of 10 key sectors in a blueprint for upgrading Chinese industries and shedding its reputation as the world’s cheap-labor factory.
Such ambitions have led to a boom in robot sporting events across China over the past year.
Last year, Beijing hosted the world’s first Humanoid Robot Games, which put machines through their paces in soccer, boxing, martial arts and other sports.
And at China’s annual televised new-year extravaganza a few months ago, robots donning kung-fu outfits delighted and amazed viewers with their martial arts choreography.
More than 100 teams took part this year’s humanoid half-marathon – nearly five times as many as last year, when the contest debuted, but delivered mainly disappointing performances.
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