Robots have raced against humans in a half-marathon for the first time.
Some 21 humanoid robots raced alongside thousands of runners around the 21km (13-mile) course in Beijing, China, on Saturday.
Some of the robots that took part were as short as 3ft 9in, while others were as tall as 5ft 9in.
They had to resemble humans and be able to walk or run – wheels were not allowed.
The winning robot was Tiangong Ultra, which crossed the finishing line with a time of two hours and 40 minutes, while the men’s winner of the race had a time of one hour and two minutes.
Tang Jian, chief technology officer for the creator of the robot, the Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, said its performance was aided by long legs and an algorithm allowing it to imitate how humans run a marathon.
“I don’t want to boast, but I think no other robotics firms in the West have matched Tiangong’s sporting achievements,” he said.
He added that the robot’s battery was changed just three times during the race.
Read more: China hosts world’s first half-marathon race between humans and robots
