Suzhou: A Chinese robot has stepped into the Guinness World Records after completing a three-day, 100-kilometre trek, the longest reported distance ever walked by a humanoid machine.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the 169-centimetre (five foot six inch) AgiBot A2 set off from the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou on the evening of November 10. It traversed highways and city streets before arriving at Shanghai's historic waterfront Bund area on November 13, as confirmed by Guinness World Records.
Shanghai-based robot maker AgiBot stated that its two-legged ambler "navigated varied surfaces... all while adhering to traffic regulations" during its continuous 106.286-kilometre (66-mile) journey. This impressive feat was certified as the first of its kind on Thursday.
Video clips published by AgiBot showed the silver-and-black A2 trudging along a road past cyclists and scooters, before picking up its pace and marching down the Bund in front of the Shanghai skyline.
The world's tech firms are heavily investing in physical AI, with Morgan Stanley predicting that the world could have more than a billion humanoid robots by 2050. The Chinese government has been encouraging domestic firms to develop humanoids, aiming to lead the global robotics industry.
In August, Beijing hosted the world's first-ever humanoid robot games, where more than 500 "athletes" competed in disciplines ranging from basketball to competitive cleaning. AgiBot has designed the A2 for customer service roles, equipping it with a chat function and lip-reading capabilities.