&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "From smooth climbs to collapses: Humanoid robots take on Mount Tai carrying eggs and watermelons | VIDEO")
Dozens of robots climbed 3,000 steps up one of China's most famous peaks Monday (Nov 2), carrying eggs, watermelons and other items. Organisers have termed the contestasatestof real-world machine endurance. Mount Tai is the tallest peak in China's eastern Shandong province and for years, it has been a pilgrimage for Chinese emperors and features prominently in Chinese mythology. The UNESCO World Heritage site hosted technologies of the future as part of a new World Mountain Robot Challenge.
Videos showed robots carrying cartons of eggs and other items, climbing steps as cameras followed them. While several robots gracefully ascended the mountains, one humanoid robot collapsed into a heap on the cobbled route before engineers rushed to repair it, while another tumbled down a flight of stairs and came to rest beside a rubbish bin. Organisers called Mount Tai's rocky terrain a "natural extreme testing ground" that could help train robots for real-world use, local media reported. The race, organised by the state-run China Media Group, featured cash prizes for winners in several categories, including the fastest robots and the best load-carrying four-legged machine.
Who won the competition?
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. Over a 3.9-kilometre (2.4-mile) course with more than 600 metres (1,970 feet) of ascent, robots and their engineers from around 90 teams were tasked with either completing the route as fast as possible or transporting fragile goods like fresh eggs and watermelons to the summit. Most tourists take at least two hours to complete the route, according to CCTV.
