Robot’s Journey Across Provinces: From Suzhou to Shanghai, setting a Guinness World Record for 100 kilometers of walking.
A humanoid robot from Shanghai Zhiyuan Robotics recently completed an incredible expedition. It started from Jinji Lake in Suzhou and walked all the way to the Bund in Shanghai, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest distance walked by a humanoid robot.
The total distance was 106.286 kilometers, and the robot took nearly three days to complete the journey. It set off from the “Gate of the Orient” in Suzhou, traversing urban areas, scenic spots, national highways, and provincial roads, finally arriving at the Bund in Shanghai.
This robot, named Expedition A2, faced various challenges along the way. It walked on asphalt roads, tiled paths, bridges, tactile paving, and ramps, and also dealt with the challenge of insufficient lighting at night.
The robot is equipped with numerous high-tech gadgets. Dual GPS modules, laser radar, and infrared depth cameras help it navigate accurately in complex environments.
Especially in the pitch-black night, the infrared sensors allow it to see its surroundings like a cat.
Wang Chuang, a partner at Zhiyuan Robotics, smiled and said that this journey would be a difficult challenge for many people, but the robot accomplished it. This proves that the robot’s hardware performance and balance algorithms are quite mature.
What is most surprising is that the robot did not shut down for rest during the entire journey. This is thanks to the rapid hot-swappable battery system designed by the development team, allowing it to operate continuously.
Imagine a robot strolling along the road from Suzhou to Shanghai; what an interesting sight it must be. It has to recognize traffic lights, navigate narrow passages, and deal with crowds and passing electric vehicles.
Upon reaching the destination, the robot humorously remarked that this was a “memorable experience in its robotic career” and joked, “Looks like I need a new pair of shoes.” It turns out that the rubber on its soles wore down a bit during the 100-kilometer walk.
This robot is not just capable of walking. It already possesses advanced functions such as multilingual communication, facial recognition, autonomous navigation, and item delivery.
It has delivered over a thousand units this year, ranking first in the global full-size humanoid robot market.
The robot’s functions are continuously being upgraded. Every two months, it can receive new features through remote updates, just like our mobile phone system upgrades.
The development team hopes that in the future, the robot can play a role in retail, dining, corporate reception, and even home services. They can take on repetitive tasks such as delivery, sorting, and reception, becoming reliable assistants to humans.
Guinness World Records official Hu Xiaowen announced the birth of this record on-site. She stated that this record coincides with the 70th anniversary of Guinness World Records, showcasing the “Chinese power” in the field of cutting-edge technology.
Watching the robot’s steady pace, one can’t help but marvel at the rapid development of technology. Just a few years ago, robots were still stumbling in laboratories, and now they can hike across provinces.
This 100-kilometer walk is not only a demonstration of technology but also an important step towards the practical application of robots. When the day comes that robots coexist with us, reflecting on this journey from Suzhou to Shanghai may become an interesting starting point.