Robots raced up Mount Tai in China carrying eggs and watermelons — CBS News

China hosted a robot competition on Mount Tai, where participants climbed more than 3,000 steps. Some of the machines had to deliver fragile cargo to the summit — fresh eggs and watermelons.

Test on a mountain route

The World Mountain Robot Challenge took place at a UNESCO World Heritage site. The 2.4-mile, or about 3.9-kilometer, route involved an ascent of more than 600 meters. Robots and engineers from about 90 teams took part in the competition.

As CBS News reports, the difficult rocky route proved challenging for some participants. One humanoid robot wearing a bandana fell on a paved section of the route, after which engineers began repairing it. Another robot fell down the stairs and stopped near a garbage container.

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Competition results

In the speed category for quadruped machines, a robot from Beijing Lingyi Technology, a subsidiary of Unitree, won. It completed the route in 43 minutes and 41 seconds. According to state broadcaster CCTV, tourists usually need at least two hours to complete the journey.

The fastest humanoid robot, from Beijing's Zhishen Lingyue team, completed a shortened distance in 27 minutes and 26 seconds. Organizers called Mount Tai's rocky terrain a natural extreme testing ground for robots in real-world conditions. Winners in several categories received cash prizes.