(Yicai) April 18 -- Twenty-one teams are set to compete in the world’s first humanoid robot half marathon, which will start at 7.30 a.m. in Beijing tomorrow, according to the event’s organizers.

Given their speed and potential mid-race changes such as battery swaps, the winning robot is expected to complete the 21.1-kilometer course and cross the finish line at around 10.10 a.m.

At 1.8 meters in height and weighing 52 kilograms, the tallest runner is Tiangong Ultra, developed by the National and Local Co-built Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center. It has an average speed of 10 kilometres an hour and a maximum running speed of 12 km/h.

Tiangong Ultra can traverse slopes, stairs, grass, gravel, sand, and other uneven terrains, said Wei Jiaxin, brand and public relations manager at the Beijing-based research center.

Little Giant from Beijing Polytechnic University is just 75 centimeters high, but its ankles are equipped with 180-degree joint motors, and its feet have rubber soles to handle rough surfaces. Other humanoid robot developers fielding runners include Lingbao Casbot and Noetix Robotics. 

Each team consists of one humanoid robot and up to three human escorts, such as engineers, operators, and pacemakers. They will also be accompanied by a referee each. The organizers are encouraging the teams to run the entire course without battery changes and those that replace robots will face time penalties.

The half marathon is being hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and the Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

Editor: Tom Litting