A one-of-a-kind event is fast approaching in southeast Beijing’s Economic-Technological Development Area (often called “Beijing E-Town”). Slated for April 13, this half-marathon will see humans and humanoid robots compete on the same 21km route.
As registrations begin on March 5, global anticipation is quickly mounting. While the basic format has been public knowledge for some time, newly released rules give a clearer picture of the event and its stakes.Additionally, recent announcements of more than 10,000 robot placements in key industries amidst the marathon preparations suggest something far larger is at stake for China’s robotics sector.
For the robot category, organizers have set a cut-off completion time of roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes. Unlike human runners, robot teams can switch batteries mid-race or swap out their robots in a relay setup. Each change, however, comes with a 10-minute penalty added to the team’s final time.
Only humanoid designs are allowed to preserve the half-marathon’s spirit of realistic “bipedal” participation. Robots must measure between 0.5 meters (1.6ft) and 2 meters (6.5ft) in height; any wheel-based or multi-legged mechanisms are excluded. Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous units can compete, but teams must ensure no harm to the course, nearby people, or other robots.
Participants will be judged not only on finishing times but also on adherence to the technical regulations. In terms of recognition, the top three finishers earn prize purses of 5,000, 4,000, and 3,000 yuan (US$697, $558, and $418), respectively, alongside special acknowledgments for endurance and creative design.
Interested groups from research institutes, universities, and robotics clubs worldwide are encouraged to apply, highlighting China’s eagerness to foster international collaboration in humanoid robotics. More of this article (Interesting Engineering) - link - more like this (robots) - link - more like this (China) - link
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