China’s humanoid robot half marathon winner wants to be ‘Android’ of robotics

Name: Running robots put through their paces alongside humans in Beijing half-marathon
Uploaded: 2025-04-19T10:30:07.000Z
Duration: 3 min 4 s
Description: Running robots put through their paces alongside humans in Beijing half-marathon

Likening its tech to Google’s Android, the state-backed X-Humanoid is seeking a greater role in China’s highly competitive robotics industry

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The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre’s Tien Kung Ultra robot competes in China’s first half marathon for humanoid robots as engineers run alongside it. Photo: Xinhua

Xinmei Shen

Published: 6:30pm, 19 Apr 2025Updated: 6:13pm, 21 Apr 2025

With its win in China’s first half marathon for humanoid robots, the state-backed Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre has entered the national spotlight as it aims to become something akin to Google’s Android operating system for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled machines.

The centre, also known as X-Humanoid, operates the Tien Kung Ultra robot, which secured first place at the half marathon in Beijing’s Yizhuang district on Saturday.

The 180cm, 55kg Tien Kung robot completed the 21km track in about two hours and 40 minutes, according to the centre. The team carried out three battery swaps, the centre’s CTO Tang Jian told Chinese news outlet Yicai, according to a report on Saturday. Tang explained that while adding battery capacity would allow fewer battery changes, it would also increase the robot’s weight and affect its gait.

X-Humanoid was jointly established in November 2023 by Beijing Jingcheng Machinery Electric Company, Beijing Xiaomi Robotics Technology and UBTech Robotics, with each holding a 28.57 per cent stake, according to Chinese corporate database Qichacha. Beijing Yizhuang Robotics Technology Industry Development, a subsidiary of the state-owned investment firm Yizhuang Holdings, owns the remaining 14.29 per cent.

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Running robots put through their paces alongside humans in Beijing half-marathon

Xiong Youjun, UBTech’s chief technology officer, serves as the centre’s general manager, according to a blog post the company published on WeChat in January 2024. X-Humanoid aims to build “core platforms” for humanoid robot hardware and software, Xiong said at the time.