Robots set to take on humans in first-ever long distance running race

In a first-of-its-kind event, 12,000 humans will compete against a selection of bipedal robots in a long-distance running race where wheels are forbidden.

Robots set to take on humans in first-ever long distance running race
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Tech and Science Editor
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TL;DR: In a groundbreaking event, 12,000 humans will race against bipedal robots in a long-distance competition where the use of wheels is prohibited.

What's the point of creating a humanoid robot if you can't race it? Well, many people agree with that sentiment, as a first-of-its-kind event is being planned where humans will take on humanoid robots over several miles.

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In what seems like a humorous story at face value, engineers have been officially asked by event organizers to enter their bipedal robots into a long-distance running race that will take place in the Chinese capital's Daxing district. The event is being organized by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town), and tech firms have been invited to enter their humanoid robots, but there are a few stipulations.

Engineers must make sure their robot has a humanoid appearance and mechanical structure designed to be bipedal, meaning it moves using two legs. As you can probably imagine, using wheels to create any movement is wholly forbidden. Other rules include the height requirement of between 19.7 inches and 78.7 inches, with a maximum leg extension distance, which measures from the hip joint to the base of the foot, of 17.7 inches.

Will the robots be running the race on their own? That is up to their creators as the robots are allowed to be completely autonomous or remote-controlled. Battery swaps are also allowed.

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Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms.

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