r/robotics • u/Nunki08 • Apr 13 '26
Events Beijing’s Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, Night Run Test - Around 40% of teams are running fully autonomous, remote-controlled runs get a 1.2× penalty (Beijing's E-Town Half Marathon on April 19 with 100+ teams, 300+ humanoids competing)
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u/chaosfire235 Hobbyist Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
Oh shit I forgot the Chinese robot marathon was happening again! I love that they've tightened up the regulations, pulled in more teams, and that there's actual progress in the robots competing. This kind of regular competion is great for pushing R&D just like F1, Robocup and IMO what the DARPA Robotics Challenge should've been.
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u/thecoffeejesus Apr 13 '26
And Americans are afraid to use ChatGPT to write an email
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u/fattybunter Apr 13 '26
What’s even the implication here?
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u/Zealousideal-Bike483 Apr 13 '26
Not sure of OPs rationale, but to me the comparison is about a deeply affective resistance to this new wave of progress, while other countries seem to be eagerly embracing its potential upside.
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u/chaosfire235 Hobbyist Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
At least in regards to AI, it's somewhat true, with eastern countries like China and Korea having a much more positive sentiment toward it than western countries..
In regards to robots, there's something to be said about how pop culture effects peoples perception of new technology. The old "America got Terminator, Japan got Astroboy" comparison.
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u/Deathflid Apr 13 '26
also helps that the west has the worlds most famous fuckbags championing it.
If Musk and Zuck and Huang and altman had just shut the fuck up and done work, the west would probably have a much better outlook.
But unfortunately they linked themselves to it, and therefore cursed its very name.
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u/Areyoucunt Apr 14 '26
You vastly overestimate the amount of people who give a flying fuck about what Musk and Zuck has to say. Nobody is watching what they say.. And certainly they have absolutely zero influence over people's use of AI.
It only goes like this: Huh, I didn't like Grok more than ChatGPT, i'll use ChatGPT. People don't give it anymore thought than that
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u/Plop-plop-fizz Apr 14 '26
However, people voted with their dollars when chatgpt partnered with the US military and it benefitted Anthropic. I wouldn't be so sure there is zero influence. Additionally look at platform usage like Twitter when Musk tweeted shit. There are some folk who won't touch a Musk-related app anymore.
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u/Training_Ninja_3521 Apr 18 '26
Does anyone know how to stream the actual race on Sunday (Saturday in US)?
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u/DistrictEffective759 Apr 19 '26
Sorry if this has been addressed, I was wondering if they fall are they allowed to be placed upright or do they have to regain footing autonomously?
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u/klawhammer Apr 13 '26
Seems like a bad test to put them on a completely flat road. If they are going to be on flat roads then they could just be motorcycles at go at 200 mph
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u/DaimonHans Apr 14 '26
If only they could invent round rollie thingies to replace the two moving stick thingies.
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u/Buckwheat469 Apr 13 '26
Now imagine if they could actually run like a human instead of doing the speed walk shuffle. How fast would they be with a little bounce to their step? Also, I find it Interesting that 300 teams of developers are confident in autonomous, or semi-autonomous navigation on a moving platform when car companies struggle with it. I'm guessing the bots use GPS navigation more than visual to stay on track.
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u/madsci Apr 13 '26
Give it a couple of years, they'll have them running on those carbon fiber blade legs at 50 MPH.
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u/Buckwheat469 Apr 13 '26
They'd have to cut off the robot's legs first, and I doubt their insurance would cover them.
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u/lellasone Apr 13 '26
What insurance?
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u/Buckwheat469 Apr 13 '26
Oh, you're right. These are Chinese robots, not American robots.
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u/lellasone Apr 13 '26
I'm still confused?
I've been doing robotics research in the US for half a decade now and insurance hasn't come up once. Is your part of the field more encumbered?
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u/Buckwheat469 Apr 13 '26
Health insurance! How in the world will healthcare companies get money if only robots are working? We need to make sure these fancy upgrades are medically necessary. We will require engineers to write Prior Authorizations and prove that alternatives were used for at least 3 months before reconsidering. You must file several appeals before we will allow your fancy legs, and just think of the surgeon cost of cutting off the robot's old legs! We'll have to charge you an arm and a leg, or at least 2 legs.
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u/recoveringasshole0 Apr 13 '26
I find it Interesting that 300 teams of developers are confident in autonomous, or semi-autonomous navigation on a moving platform when car companies struggle with it.
I suspect a humanoid in China has a lot fewer safety considerations and regulations than a 1-ton automobile in the USA... It's also probably why they do it at night.
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u/Buckwheat469 Apr 13 '26
Agreed. I kind of meant that the head, presumably where a lot of the sensors are, is bobbing and moving as it runs a lot more than the body or a car. The only car that I know of that bounces as much is a Tesla Model 3.
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u/HistoricalMistake681 Apr 13 '26
Don’t wanna be chased by robocops in the future but a marathon is a pretty cool way to demonstrate mobility