Chinese humanoid robots prepare for second-ever half marathon in Beijing

Robots powering on and hitting the pavement training for Beijing's second ever humanoid half marathon this weekend. You see some here zooming through the track with ease while others seem to be having a more difficult time at the starting line. A bit of deja vu from last year's race where humans took the glory in the race of man versus machines besting the droids by more than an hour and a half. A marketing manager with a Chinese robot maker says this year's race will reflect an overall improvement across the entire industry. Whether the Androids will emerge victorious over humans this year to be determined. But what is known, the race to develop humanoid robots keeps going on and off the track. The main competitors, the US and China. From Kung Fu bots doing an impressive choreograph routine for the Chinese New Year to robots starting to work in factory roles right here at home as we covered last week. The big question is how much of these robots are doing it themselves versus being controlled or pre-programmed by human brains. For the big race, the robots are split into two groups, autonomous and remote controlled. Remote control is easier. Knows is really some person on the sideline. The higher tech autonomous navigation teams will make up nearly 40% of the more than 100 participants. It all paves the way for a lot more of these metallic counterparts. A Morgan Stanley report predicts China will have over 300 million humanoid robots by 2050 with another 70 million in the United States. The leaps and bounds that these technologies are making every 3 to 6 months is incredible. So, w So, while there's been some hiccups in development, this year's tournament could showcase a big leap. Kathy Park, NBC News. We thank you for watching and remember stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.