China holds world's 1st robot race along with human participants

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Saturday held the world's first humanoid robot race alongside human participants.

Chinese-made Tien Kung Ultra came in first in the half-marathon with nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes time.

The robot completed the 21-kilometer course without showing any visible signs of fatigue, state-run Global Times reported.

Nearly 20 robotic companies joined the race, including Unitree's G1, Leju Robotics' Kuavo and NOETIX's N2.

For safety reasons, humans and humanoid robots were separated by barriers, and the robots were not subject to the same timing standards as the human runners.

The humanoid robots began the race one at a time, each starting at one-minute intervals following a gunshot signal.

Support stations were placed along the route to allow team members to perform maintenance on the robots, such as replacing batteries.

Some of the robots were fitted with specialized designs like hot-swappable battery systems for uninterrupted operation to endure long-distance running.

Certain humanoids were also fitted with protective footwear, while others used abrasion-resistant attachments on their feet.