A humanoid robot has shattered the human half-marathon world record, completing the 13-mile race in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds on April 19. The winning robot from Chinese tech firm Honor autonomously navigated the course, significantly outperforming the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
This demonstration highlights the rapid progress in robotic speed and autonomy. The winning robot design featured long legs and a custom liquid-cooling system, inspired by athletic performance and consumer electronics technology. This advancement comes as China's tech industry scales up mass production of humanoid robots for potential real-world applications.
While this achievement is significant, experts note that humanoid robots still face challenges in complex environments. The race, featuring 300 robotic contestants, underscores the billions invested globally in developing versatile humanoid robots capable of performing a wider range of tasks in human workplaces.