EP.61 THE HUMANOID HALF-MARATHON IN BEIJING
A legged delivery robot, an insect-sized flying robot that lands perfectly & much more...
Chinese robots ran against humans in a half-marathon! 🏃🏻♂️
In a striking display of physical AI, 21 humanoid robots participated in Beijing's Yizhuang half-marathon alongside thousands of human runners. This marked the first time humanoid robots competed in a 21-kilometer race with people.
Robots from companies like DroidUP and Noetix Robotics came in a variety of forms, some as short as 120 cm, others nearly six feet tall. One robot featured a lifelike face that could wink and smile. The standout performer was Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, which finished the race in 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Although slower than the human winner's time of just over an hour, Tiangong Ultra impressed with its long stride and a custom algorithm designed to mimic human marathon pacing. The robot reportedly only required three battery changes during the event.
While some robots performed well, others struggled—falling at the starting line, veering into barriers, or needing frequent human support. Still, the event highlights China's ongoing push to position humanoid robotics at the forefront of emerging tech, even if some experts argue these displays offer limited insight into practical AI or robotics capabilities beyond showmanship.
Robots are helping to build a research facility! 🏗️
ABB Robotics and construction tech firm AUAR are partnering to create a pioneering climate-neutral research facility in Belgium called ConstrucThor. The project will demonstrate how robotics and automated micro-factories can support sustainable and affordable housing. It will be built using AUAR’s modular timber construction system powered by ABB’s industrial robots.
Located at the OpenThor Living Lab in Genk and backed by KU Leuven University, ConstrucThor aims to serve as a living testbed for energy-neutral infrastructure and circular building practices. The facility will be assembled with reused wood and prefabricated panels produced in robotic micro-factories, reducing emissions, waste, and construction time.
The core structure of a house can be manufactured in less than 12 hours, enabling faster on-site assembly. ABB’s robots, equipped with vision systems and AI, bring speed, precision, and efficiency to the modular building process.
AUAR and ABB are scaling this approach globally through a network of local micro-factories. With facilities already active in the UK, Belgium, and the US, the network is expected to grow to 10 by next year across Europe and North America.
🦾 Feature sponsorship with ABB Robotics
A robot that will bring a package to your doorstep! 🚪
A team of researchers at ETH Zürich has introduced LEVA, an advanced logistics robot built to solve the challenge of autonomous transport over uneven terrain.
LEVA is equipped with a legged suspension system using parallel kinematics, allowing it to combine the efficiency of wheels with the adaptability of legs. This enables it to climb stairs, navigate inclines, and move across rough surfaces while transporting payloads of up to 85 kg.
Designed for real-world environments like construction sites or agricultural fields, LEVA features steerable wheels for tight navigation and a dedicated mechanism for autonomously loading and unloading boxes. Its movements are guided by a reinforcement learning-based controller, giving it the precision needed for complex terrain and reliable cargo handling.
Meme of the week 🤖
Self-learning AI combined with robotics could become funny ;)
A robot inspired by crane flies! 🪰
Harvard researchers have given their insect-sized flying robot, RoboBee, a new ability: soft landings. Inspired by the long, jointed legs of the crane fly, the updated design helps the tiny robot overcome instability caused by turbulence near the ground.
RoboBee, developed at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, weighs just a tenth of a gram and has a wingspan under 3 cm. While previous versions could fly underwater or perch upside-down, they struggled with stable landings. Now, with four crane-fly-style legs and a new control algorithm, RoboBee can touch down more gently and remain upright.
These flexible legs allow the robot to make ground contact before turbulence from its flapping wings disrupts balance. Researchers say this upgrade not only improves landings but could open up future uses in agriculture and search and rescue, particularly as RoboBee moves toward becoming fully untethered.
The team sees the project as a two-way street between robotics and biology, using insect-inspired design to improve machines and using robotic experiments to explore biomechanics.
Outdoor robotics company raises $27M in Series B 💰
Yarbo, the robotics company reinventing outdoor maintenance, has closed a $27 million Series B funding round to accelerate its expansion. The New York-based company says the fresh capital will help scale mass production, strengthen its supply chain, and advance research and development for its growing line of yard-care robots.
Originally launched in 2015 as Snowbot, Yarbo began by tackling automated snow removal. Since rebranding, the company has evolved into a full-season outdoor automation platform. Its modular system uses a central autonomous vehicle with swappable attachments, including a mower, snow blower, and now a trimmer.
Yarbo is now preparing for broader global expansion, targeting markets in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. It claims to be on track for 4x to 5x sales growth in 2025 and is actively preparing for a public offering.
The company’s vision is to build a comprehensive “1+N” ecosystem of modular yard tools that automate year-round outdoor work. Upcoming modules in development include granular and liquid sprayers, garbage bin movers, pet waste collectors, and even fruit harvesters—all designed to work with Yarbo’s core robot without hardware changes.
