Photo/Illutration The Tiangong Ultra android developed by a Beijing company takes part in the half-marathon on April 19. (Yuriko Suzuki)

BEIJING--What was billed as the world’s first android half-marathon was held here on April 19. 

The androids got off to a staggered start from 7:30 a.m. and the first non-human crossed the finish line around 10:10 a.m.

The race was sponsored by a department of the Beijing municipal government.

While both humans and androids took part, the only humanoid robots allowed to run were bipeds.

But various control methods were allowed, from totally autonomous androids to remote-controlled devices.

Several startup companies that have been in the news recently entered their androids.

One such company was Unitree Robotics with a robot that performed a traditional Chinese folk dance on a TV program a while back.

Twenty-one androids were entered in the race and they started at one-minute intervals from 7:30 a.m.

The robots had three and a half hours to reach the goal line along a course through the Chinese capital that included an incline of about 9 degrees.

Replacement of batteries and the robot itself was allowed, although replacing a running robot incurred a 10-minute time penalty.

Development of robots and artificial intelligence has high priority in the Chinese government.

Race organizers said they hoped the half-marathon would demonstrate to the public the advances being made in robotics technology.

(This article was written by Yuriko Suzuki and Ryo Inoue.)

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