Robot breaks world record with 66-mile walk and cracks joke upon finish line
A new Guinness World Record has been set by a humanoid robot called A2, after it undertook a 66-mile walk from Jiangsu Province to Shanghai.
The robot completed the journey in a single continuous walk. It began at Jinji Lake and arrived at Shanghai’s Bund. It was able to walk undeterred thanks to a system that allowed the robot to swap its own batteries while continuing to operate.
The robot was also equipped with dual GPS modules along with its built-in lidar and infrared depth cameras. This imbued it with a greater sensory capability, which was needed for accurate navigation through changing light conditions and differing urban locations.
As per The Global Times, at the end of the record-breaking walk, the robot still had energy to interact with reporters. A2 was elated with its journey, calling the walk a “memorable experience” in its “machine life”.
It even cracked a joke, noting to the exhaustion it felt, suggesting it might now “need a new pair of shoes.” It walked away with the title of longest journey walked by a humanoid robot under its belt, as an experiment to prove the reliability and stability of humanoid robot tech.
Impressively, the robot was not manufactured with this goal in mind, but was a standard, mass-produced commercial unit with no customised modifications. It was identical to the robots delivered to clients across the nation.
During its walk, A2 also adhered to all traffic rules and made it safely to its target destination with only small evidence of wear and tear on its sole.
Wang Chuang, partner and senior vice president of AgiBot, noted proudly, “Walking from Suzhou to Shanghai is difficult for many people to do in one go, yet the robot completed it.”
Elsewhere, Cassie the robot, which was invented at the Oregon State University College of Engineering, set the record for the fastest 100 meters by a bipedal robot in 2022. Cassie ran the track at 23.73 seconds, starting and ending in a standing position.