"Though Mount Tai Is High"... Chinese Robots Climb 3,100 Stone Steps in 43 Minutes

China Holds the "First World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition"
Around 90 Teams Compete in Races and Load-Carrying Events
"Will Help Develop Technologies for Mountain Rescue and Facility Inspections"

Robots competed in a contest in China, racing up more than 3,100 stone steps along a mountain trail and testing their speed and ability to carry loads.

Robots Leave Reporters and Judges Behind... Climbing With Watermelons and Eggs

The First World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition, featuring around 90 teams with humanoid and quadruped robots, was held at Mount Tai in Tai'an, Shandong Province, China. AFP-Yonhap News Agency

On November 2, Yonhap News, citing China Central Television (CCTV) and other sources, reported that "the First World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition, featuring around 90 teams of humanoid and quadrupedal robots, was held at Mount Tai in Tai'an, Shandong Province." The event, organized by China Media Group (CMG), CCTV's parent company, featured four official events: a humanoid robot race, a quadrupedal robot race, a quadrupedal robot load-carrying event, and an exoskeleton-assisted climbing event.

The competition was held on an actual mountain trail rather than a flat road or indoor arena to test the robots' travel speed and ability to maintain balance. The stone steps on Mount Tai vary in height and width, and the narrowest are reportedly only about 13 cm wide. CCTV explained that "the robots must use laser sensors, cameras and other equipment to assess the height of the steps and the surrounding terrain, and adjust where they place their feet." Humanoid robots walking on two legs have to adjust their center of gravity with each step, while battery consumption was also a challenge as they had to climb steep slopes for an extended period.

The stair-climbing races covered a roughly 3.9-km stretch from Hongmen Square to Zhongtianmen, along Mount Tai's main hiking trail. The route has more than 3,100 stone steps. Footage released by CCTV showed a quadrupedal robot rapidly ascending a steep flight of steps as reporters following behind ran to keep up. Even the judges were unable to catch up with the robot. The organizers had initially planned to have a dedicated judge run alongside each robot, but changed the plan and stationed judges at various points along the course because they could not keep up with the robots. Technicians wearing exoskeleton equipment chased after them.

In the quadrupedal robot race, the Beijing Lingyi Keji team won after reaching the finish line in 43 minutes and 41 seconds. The stretch usually takes people about two hours to walk. In the humanoid robot race, the Zhishen Lingyue team came in first, completing the route from Hongmen Square to Doumugong in 27 minutes and 26 seconds. Some humanoid robots fell while speeding up to catch robots ahead of them.

The load-carrying event was designed to simulate people carrying loads while climbing a mountain. On a roughly 3.3-km stretch from Hongmen Square to Hutian Pavilion, with more than 2,100 steps, the robots were judged on both how quickly they climbed and whether they could carry items without breaking them. Some robots climbed the steps carrying loads of about 13 kg, including watermelons and eggs, on their backs.

From Marathons and Martial Arts to Mountain Climbing... China Turns Into a Testing Ground for Robots

A robot climbing a mountain trail on Mount Tai in China. CCTV, AFP-Yonhap News

Robots are already climbing Mount Tai alongside hikers. Five hundred exoskeleton-style "climbing-assistance robots," which help support users' legs, have been stationed throughout the scenic area. Visitors can rent and wear one for 80 yuan (about 16,000 won) for three hours. Near the summit, quadrupedal robots weighing about 40 kg climb up and down the steps carrying as much as 100 kg of trash. That is two to three times the 30 to 40 kg that a person can carry in a single trip using a backpack frame.

CCTV said the competition was "an event to test robots' mobility and stability in complex, real-world environments," adding that it expected "the data gathered from the event to help develop robotic technologies for mountain rescue and the inspection of outdoor facilities."

Meanwhile, China has recently held a series of events, including robot marathons, sports meets and martial arts competitions, to test robots' performance and potential for practical use. At a half-marathon held in Beijing in April 2026, one robot crossed the finish line in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.