Dozens of robots climbed more than 3,000 steps to one of China’s most famous peaks Monday, many carrying eggs and watermelons in a race organizers described as a test of real-world machine endurance, state media said.
For hundreds of years, Mount Tai—the highest peak in China’s eastern Shandong province—has been an important pilgrimage site for Chinese emperors, and it figures prominently in Chinese mythology.
But the rugged terrain would prove a stern test for some competitors. One humanoid robot wearing a bandana collapsed in a heap on the paved track before engineers rushed in to repair it, while another fell down a flight of stairs and landed next to a rubbish bin.
The UNESCO World Heritage site hosted technologies of the future as part of a new World Mountain Robot Challenge, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed.
Over a 2.4-mile course with more than 1,970 feet of ascent, robots and their engineers from about 90 teams were tasked with either completing the course as quickly as possible or transporting fragile goods like fresh eggs and watermelons to the summit.
A canine robot made by Beijing Lingyi Technology — a subsidiary of industry giant Unitree — completed the course in 43 minutes, 41 seconds to win the four-legged speed category.
Most tourists take at least two hours to complete the route, according to CCTV.
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The fastest humanoid robot – belonging to Beijing-based team Zhishen Lingyue – completed a shorter race in 27 minutes and 26 seconds.
Organizers called Mount Tai’s rocky terrain a “natural extreme testing ground” that could help robots use reality, local media reported.
The race, organized by the state-owned China Media Group, has cash prizes for winners in several categories, including the fastest robots and the best load-carrying four-legged machine.