In a few months, a unique half marathon will take place in Beijing, in which humanoid robots will take part. In the 21 km race, about 12 thousand people will take to the track simultaneously with robots.
Image source: scmp.com
According to the local news portal South China Morning Post, this event is part of China’s large-scale program to develop artificial intelligence and robotics, and this initiative is aimed at strengthening the country’s position in the technological race with the United States, as well as addressing the problems of an aging society and a declining birth rate.
Robots from more than 20 companies will take part in the race. The organizers also invited research institutes, robotics clubs and universities from around the world to participate. The main condition that must be met is that robots must resemble humans, have the mechanical structure to move on two legs, and not use wheels. Their height should be from 0.5 to 2 meters, and their span from hip to foot should be at least 0.45 meters. Both autonomous and remote-controlled models will be able to participate in the race. Changing batteries during the race is permitted.
Interestingly, at another half marathon in Beijing last year, Galbot’s humanoid robot greeted participants at the finish line. However, the upcoming marathon will be the first full-fledged robot race in history, highlighting China’s commitment to developing robotics, especially humanoid ones, as a key sector for achieving technological independence and economic growth.
China is also using robots to address the problem of an aging population, giving them the role of companions, assistants in monitoring health and in everyday life. According to official data, by the end of 2024, there would be 310 million people aged 60 years or older in China, accounting for 22% of the total population.
In addition, robots are seen as a solution to the problem of workforce reduction. For example, in 2023, Chinese companies introduced about 277 thousand robots into production, which is 51% of the global number of robots in production. However, despite the ambitious plans, developing full-fledged humanoid robots remains a technical challenge, even with the Chinese government offering subsidies for research and development in this area.