Fine-tuning hardware, algorithms
“The 21-kilometer race is a pretty extreme test,” explained Zhou Di, an expert from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, in an interview to Yicai Global. “In industrial and household applications, the ability to run long distances isn’t usually a top priority for robots,” he added.
However, the robotic marathon will not only serve as an ingenious marketing tool but also present a genuine opportunity to compare robots. It can be thought of as a kind of trial for potential customers and investors as well.
Both the Casbot 01 and Wheat robots stand over 5.6 feet (1.7 meters) tall and weigh about 132 pounds (60 kilograms), similar to an average human’s height and weight. However, as advanced as these two machines are, they still have a long way to go before being able to run extensively.