Honor Robot Smashes Human Record in Beijing Half Marathon

In a stunning display of technological prowess, a robot has not only conquered a human athletic event but shattered existing records. The half-marathon in Beijing became the stage for this groundbreaking achievement as a robot, dubbed "Lightning" and developed by China's own Honor, emerged victorious. This remarkable machine not only outpaced the best human runners but also obliterated the world record, finishing the 21-kilometer race in an astonishing 50 minutes and 26 seconds—nearly seven minutes faster than the previous best.

This victory is a testament to China's rapid advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence. The performance of "Lightning" far surpassed that of last year's robotic champion, which took over two and a half hours to complete the same course. More impressively, nearly half of the robot participants this year ran autonomously, navigating the complex course independently. Honor, a subsidiary of Huawei, showcased its dominance by securing the top three positions with its autonomous robots, all setting new world records.

Engineers at Honor explained that "Lightning" was developed with intensive effort, featuring longer legs (90-95 cm) to mimic human running form and equipped with liquid cooling technology to manage the heat generated by its powerful motors. While not all robots performed flawlessly, with some stumbling or misnavigating, the overall quality and capability of the humanoid robots demonstrated a significant leap forward from previous competitions. This event highlights China's ambition and capability in leading the global technological race, particularly in the field of AI and robotics, positioning itself as a powerhouse in innovation.

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The robot that set the best record was developed intensively since last year.