At 7:30 AM on April 19, 2025, the Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon officially kicked off at the South Gate of Nanhaizi Park in Beijing, China.
The total race distance was 21.0975 kilometers. Interestingly, both human runners and 21 humanoid robots shared the same race track, though for safety reasons, they ran in different zones.
In the end, the robot named Tiangong Ultra claimed victory, finishing the race in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. So who is behind the development of Tiangong Ultra? Let’s lift the veil.
Tiangong Ultra was developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, founded in November 2023 and located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. Its major shareholders include some of China's most prominent companies: Beijing Xiaomi Robotics Co., Ltd., Beijing UBTECH Robotics Co., Ltd., and two lesser-known firms — Beijing Jingcheng Electromechanical Industry Investment Co., Ltd. and Beijing Yizhuang Robotics Technology Industrial Development Co., Ltd.
According to third-party data, Xiaomi and UBTECH are the primary investors, each holding 28.57% of shares.
The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center brings together top scientists and engineers from the global embodied AI industry, with R&D personnel making up over 70% of the team. It is arguably one of the most advanced robot R&D hubs not only in China, but globally. The center focuses on core embodied AI technologies, product development, and building a robust application ecosystem — all with the aim of becoming a globally influential innovation hub and application demonstration base.
The runner-up in the robot race also drew attention — the N2 robot by Songyan Dynamics. Public information shows that Songyan Dynamics secured hundreds of millions of RMB in its Series A and A+ funding rounds. Notable investors include GSR Ventures, Shenqi Capital, and Huaqiang Capital.
To some spectators, this event was a historic moment — witnessing robots and humans running side-by-side in a marathon. But others couldn’t help but imagine: what if a robot went rogue or attacked someone? What would the consequences be?
We shouldn't become blindly optimistic just because robots are currently within controllable limits. The world needs skepticism and diverse voices.
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