People’s Daily recently published an article highlighting the achievements of China’s robotics industry in the humanoid half marathon, emphasizing two key technological advances over the past year.
At the 2026 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, a Chinese robot named “Lightning,” developed by the “Qitian Dasheng” (Monkey King) team, completed the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—surpassing the human men’s half-marathon world record and finishing in less than one-third of last year’s winning robot time.
Just one year ago, Chinese robots struggled on the course and were mocked by some foreign media as far from mature. Today, they are capable of stable, high-speed performance, largely due to the effective integration of existing technologies.
Key advancements include:
- BeiDou Navigation System:
Whereas most robots previously relied on remote control, nearly 40 percent now feature autonomous navigation. BeiDou enables them to follow routes and avoid obstacles without human intervention. - Liquid Cooling Technology:
High-speed running can cause joint overheating and mechanical failure. Engineers have adapted mature smartphone liquid-cooling technology to develop a “capillary-level” cooling system, ensuring reliable performance during prolonged, high-intensity operation.
Source: People’s Daily, April 23, 2026
https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30051972714-500007457951