A robot stair-climbing competition on Mount Tai, a scenic spot in Tai'an City in east China's Shandong Province, saw humanoid and quadruped robots racing up the mountain’s steep stone paths in a race hosted on Monday by China Media Group (CMG).
Nearly 90 teams, operating humanoid, quadruped and exoskeleton robots, took part in the race along a 3.9-kilometer section of the ancient, stone path that winds up the mountain, tackling 3,100 steps and a grueling elevation gain of 600 meters.
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Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
The competition, known as the World Robot Mount Tai Challenge (or CMG World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition), is divided into two main categories — speed races and specialized events — with several events for different robot forms, including speed racing and load-carrying challenges.
One participating team demonstrated that its quadruped robot was not only a fast racer but also a capable porter, effortlessly carrying a reporter up a steep flight of stairs.
"When navigating difficult sections, it moves in an S-shape to conserve energy, much like humans do. What you just saw was a small S-turn because you're relatively light, but it can also move straight up and down with ease," Hu Zhiqiang, chief scientific officer at the company, told the reporter.
The event provided valuable feedback for the robots’ developers. The arduous test conditions pushed the machines to their limits and offered useful insights into how robots could be used in roles such as mountain transport and high-altitude inspection — capabilities currently in demand at the Mount Tai scenic area.
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
Stair-climbing competition puts robots through their paces on Mount Tai
