A humanoid robot built by Chinese robotics firm AgiBot has broken a Guinness World Record after completing the longest continuous walk by a humanoid robot. The machine, known as A2, covered 106.286 kilometers (66.04 miles) over the course of Nov. 10-13, according to Guinness World Records.
A2's route stretched from Jinji Lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, to Shanghai's iconic Bund waterfront, a journey that tested the robot across real-world, urban challenges. The robot reportedly stayed powered on the entire time, continuing operations even during battery swaps.
Footage uploaded to YouTube shows an edited version of the trek but doesn't reveal much about how closely human handlers supervised the journey. Nevertheless, A2 encountered everything an ordinary pedestrian might: uneven terrain, nighttime low visibility, slopes, and busy road crossings.
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Chinese outlet Global Times reports that the robot obeyed traffic signals, though the degree of autonomy remains somewhat unclear. AgiBot says the machine relied on a combination of dual GPS modules, lidar, and infrared depth cameras, enabling it to navigate shifting light conditions and complex city environments. Guinness also described the robot's performance as "autonomous," though Gizmodo notes it couldn't independently confirm that claim.
"Walking from Suzhou to Shanghai is difficult for many people to do in one go, yet the robot completed it," said Wang Chuang, AgiBot partner and senior vice president.
The level of autonomy used in demonstrations has become a hot topic in robotics, especially with companies like Tesla, whose Optimus robot has previously attracted skepticism over exaggerated claims. A2's achievement, however, sets a new benchmark for long-distance robot mobility and endurance.