A Chinese humanoid robot entered the Guinness Book of Records by completing a walk of more than 100 km in three daysthe greatest distance a machine of this type has ever traveled.
The AgiBot A2, which measures 169 centimeters, left the Chinese city of Suzhou on the night of November 10, traveling along highways and streets before arriving at the historic Bund promenade in Shanghai on November 13, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The Shanghai-based company AgiBot explained that its model “navigated on varied surfaces (…) respecting traffic regulations” during a journey of 106,286 kilometers.
The company posted videos showing the silver and black A2 trudging down a road alongside cyclists and scooters, before picking up pace and heading down Shanghai’s famous promenade.
According to AgiBot, Its A2 model is designed for customer service tasks and is equipped with a chat function. He is also able to read lips.
Big technology companies are investing huge sums in physical artificial intelligence and according to Morgan Stanley the world could have more than a billion humanoid robots by 2050.
The Chinese government encourages its companies to develop humanoids and in August Beijing hosted the world’s first robotic “games”, with the participation of more than 500 “athletes” who competed in disciplines such as basketball or cleaning.