(Yicai) April 21 -- Humanoid robots from more than 20 companies competed in the world’s first android half marathon in Beijing on April 19. The event dubbed as a stage for developers to showcase their robots’ speed, agility and endurance to the world. It also drew a crowd of eager investors, all on the lookout for androids with strong commercial potential.

X-Humanoid’s Tiangong Ultra robot was the first to cross the finish line with a time of two hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds. Noetix Robotics’ N2 robot came in second and Droidup’s Walker No. 2 robot took third place.

Even though there were moments when robots tripped or had to be swapped out mid-race, six robots managed to complete the entire 21-kilometer race and received an award from the event organizers.

Robots were allowed to have their batteries replaced, or even be exchanged for a new unit if needed, but time penalties were added according to pre-set guidelines.

On-Site Sales

Jiang Zheyuan, chairman of Noetix, took the opportunity to personally flog the company’s N2 robot at the event while wearing a cap emblazoned with the word ‘Victory.’

“Pay a CNY5,000 (USD686) deposit to lock in your order!” he cried. “Prices start at CNY39,900 (USD5,500). You won’t regret it!”

There have been more than 500 orders for the N2 robot so far, said Jiang. They are mainly intended for use in scientific research and education, as tourism and cultural guides and in elderly care.

Walker No. 2 demonstrated strong stability throughout the race and it had the fewest battery changes of any of the competing robots, said Droidup founder Li Qingdu. This is because the structure of the robot and its manufacturing technology behind it is very different from that of other robots.

Investor Window

“This competition is a window for us to see what these humanoid robots are really capable of,” said a private equity fund manager who attended in person.

The investor said he came to see how robots might actually be used in the real world. As expected, robot stability and their ability to adapt to different real-world scenarios still need work, he added.

However, the quick response times from robot teams when something went wrong was promising, he said. “Some of the robots that fell down were able to get back in the race quickly with just some light repairs, which is exactly the kind of ‘productive failure’ investors like to see.”

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor