robotics / software / simulator

A humanoid robot built by Chinese smartphone maker Honor ran a half-marathon in Beijing in 50:26 on April 19, 2026—7 minutes faster than the human world record—marking a major leap in robot locomotion. Honor’s autonomous entrant, Blitz, used long legs, advanced balance systems, AI-based gait and pace adjustments, and liquid cooling to sustain performance; a remote-controlled Honor robot later posted 48:19. The event featured 100+ humanoid robots from 76 institutions running on separate courses alongside 12,000 human runners. While humanoid robots now outperform humans in this controlled physical task, falls, course errors and dependence on conditions highlight limits in reliability and real-world robustness. The result underscores China’s push to showcase leadership in advanced robotics.

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone-maker Honor autonomously completed a Beijing half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds on April 19, beating the human world record of 57:20 and outpacing other robot entrants. Honor’s design uses long, 95 cm legs inspired by elite runners and a custom liquid-cooling system adapted from consumer electronics, which engineers say could have industrial applications. The event highlights rapid improvements in robotic mobility and autonomy as Chinese firms scale humanoid production to explore real-world use cases. The demonstration signals progress in hardware, thermal management, and control systems that matter for logistics, inspection, and other commercial robot roles.

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Reuters : At the Beijing half-marathon, several humanoid robots beat human winners by 10+ minutes; a robot made by Honor beat the human world record held by Jacob Kiplimo — Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism and autonomous navigation skills …

The Danger of "Modern" Open Source

A writer frustrated with AI assistance decided to rekindle hands-on hardware skills by building a tiny robot car controlled via their phone. After finding DIY robot projects expensive and intimidating, they researched electronics fundamentals—motors, voltage, current, resistance—and used simple mental models (water+height analogy) and Ohm’s law to understand why motors spin and batteries fail. The piece walks through the core principle that voltage difference drives current to move motors, clarifies current vs. electron flow conventions, and lists basic parts needed (4WD chassis kit with motors and wiring) while noting assembly and soldering are required. It’s a pragmatic, beginner-focused take aimed at lowering the barrier to entry for hobbyist robotics.