Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showcased their rapid advancements in athleticism and autonomous navigation skills during a half-marathon race in Beijing, leaving human runners in their wake.
The inaugural edition of the race last year was plagued by mishaps, but this year's event saw a stark contrast with several robot frontrunners beating human winners by over 10 minutes.
The winning robot, developed by Chinese smartphone brand Honor, finished the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, several minutes faster than the half-marathon world record set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon last month.
Teams from Honor took the top three spots, all self-navigated and posting world-record-beating times. The sector's rapid technical advances have sparked hopes that humanoid robots will eventually reshape many industries, including manufacturing.
