A four-legged robot from Beijing's Lingyi Technology, a subsidiary of Hangzhou's Unitree Robotics, scored top marks for speed at the first World Robot Mount Taishan Climbing Competition on November 2, completing the 3.9 km course of more than 3,000 stone steps in 43 minutes 41 seconds.
The inaugural event in Tai'an, in China's Shandong province, drew nearly 90 robot-making teams, according to a report in Global Times. The route rises about 600 meters along the centuries-old stairway from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen, a climb that would take an average hiker an hour or two; the best robots finished in less than 60 minutes.
Global Times reported: "They were seen climbing, pausing, recalculating, and then moving forward again with surprising agility. Some moved with careful precision, others with a quick, springy gait, giving spectators a glimpse of how far robotics has come, and how far it still has to go in real-world scenarios."
In trial runs on the same course, Beijing rival UNIUBI AI logged a faster time of 35 minutes 47 seconds with its Cyvet robot dog, described as the smallest robot in the competition, using LiDAR and real-time 3D mapping to handle the uneven ground. "Adapting to Mount Taishan's road conditions was the biggest challenge," Chen Lin, a navigation engineer on the UNIUBI AI team, told state media CCTV. "These steps were built centuries ago. Some are high, some low, some wide, some narrow, and there are also cobblestone sections."
The competition's four official events covered humanoid robots racing to the top, robots carrying loads up the mountain, an exoskeleton-assisted machine climb, and an all-terrain scouting challenge. The aim, the report said, is to test balance, real-time decision-making and adaptation that will matter if robots are deployed in rescue sites, hospitality, offices, factories and homes.
“Like the early exhibitions of aircraft and automobiles, robot sporting events can serve as visible indicators of technological maturity, attracting public attention while also drawing investment,” Xiang Ligang, president of the Beijing Institute of Intelligent Era Industry, told the Times. The report also cited China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology listing more than 400 humanoid robot models in production, with numbers exceeding 40,000 units in the first half of 2026.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The race tested the real-world skills robots will need outside labs: balance, real-time decision-making and adaptation to unpredictable terrain.
- The event points to an accelerating robotics push in China, with the industry ministry reporting more than 40,000 humanoid units produced in the first half of 2026.
- Public competitions like this one could help draw investment and signal which robot designs are maturing fastest.
Background
Mount Taishan, Shandong's tallest peak, is one of China's most culturally significant mountains, long a destination for hikers and pilgrims. Its stone stairways, some built centuries ago, are uneven and demanding. The competition in Tai'an staged four events, from humanoid races to load-carrying and scouting challenges, as a way to push robots beyond the flat surfaces where they have mostly been tested.
Key Perspectives
Chen Lin (navigation engineer, UNIUBI AI): said adapting to Mount Taishan's road conditions was the biggest challenge, describing centuries-old steps of varying heights and widths plus cobblestone sections.
Xiang Ligang (president, Beijing Institute of Intelligent Era Industry): said robot sporting events can serve as visible indicators of technological maturity, attracting public attention and drawing investment.
What to Watch
- Whether trial-run times hold up in official competition: UNIUBI AI's 35 minutes 47 seconds was faster than the winning race time of 43 minutes 41 seconds.
- How quickly humanoid robots improve balance and independent decision-making, areas the event highlighted as major hurdles.
- Whether such competitions expand and help move robots into rescue, factory, office and home settings.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA four-legged robot from Lingyi Technology, a Unitree Robotics subsidiary, recorded the fastest time in the competition: 43 minutes 41 seconds.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The one that did, however, was a robot from Beijing's Lingyi Technology, a subsidiary of Hangzhou's famous Unitree Robotics. The four-legged robot scored top marks for speed, finishing the route in just 43 minutes and 41 seconds.”
- SupportedThe event was the first World Robot Mount Taishan Climbing Competition and took place on November 2 in Tai'an, Shandong province.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “On November 2, robot dogs – and other kinds of machines built for locomotion of some kind – took part in the very first World Robot Mount Taishan Climbing Competition in Tai'an, in China's Shandong province.”
- SupportedNearly 90 robot-making teams took part.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “According to a report in Global Times, nearly 90 robot-making teams flexed their engineered legs in yet another test of their abilities.”
- SupportedThe course was 3.9 km long, had more than 3,000 stone steps and rose about 600 metres.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The route – 3.9 km, or just over 2.4 miles, with an elevation of around 600 m (0.37 miles) – would take an average hiker an hour or two.”
- SupportedThe route was an ancient stone stairway from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “in trial runs of the course – from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen”
- SupportedThe best robots finished in less than 60 minutes, and an average hiker would take an hour or two.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The best bots did it in less than 60 minutes. ... would take an average hiker an hour or two.”
- SupportedThe quoted description of robots climbing, pausing and recalculating is a verbatim quote attributed to Global Times.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “They were seen climbing, pausing, recalculating, and then moving forward again with surprising agility. Some moved with careful precision, others with a quick, springy gait”
- SupportedIn trial runs, UNIUBI AI’s Cyvet robot dog recorded 35 minutes 47 seconds, faster than the competition winner’s time.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “in trial runs of the course – from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen – rival Beijing company UNIUBI AI put itself on the map, with its flagship Cyvet robot dog clocking a time of 35 minutes and 47 seconds.”
- SupportedThe Cyvet was described as the competition’s smallest robot and used LiDAR and real-time 3D mapping.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “According to reports, the smallest robot in the competition, Cyvet used LiDAR and real-time 3D mapping to master the uneven terrain.”
- SupportedChen Lin, a navigation engineer on the UNIUBI AI team, gave the quoted remarks about adapting to Mount Taishan’s road conditions to CCTV.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “"Adapting to Mount Taishan's road conditions was the biggest challenge," Chen Lin, a navigation engineer on the Hangzhou-based UNIUBI AI team told state media CCTV.”
- SupportedThe competition had four official events: humanoid robots racing uphill, robots carrying loads, an exoskeleton-assisted climb and an all-terrain scouting challenge.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “The competition's four official events featured humanoid robots racing to the top, robots load-carrying up the mountain, an exoskeleton-assisted machine climbing, and an all-terrain scouting challenge.”
- SupportedThe Ministry of Industry and Information Technology listed more than 400 humanoid models in production and reported figures exceeding 40,000 units in the first half of 2026.New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News: “China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology listed more than 400 different humanoid models in production and had rolled out numbers exceeding 40,000 units in the first half of 2026.”
