Androids train for Robot Marathon

Four competitors have begun “training” for the world's first-ever robot marathon in the Japanese city of Osaka.

Technology company Vstone Co, which specialises in robots, is organising marathon to demonstrate their robots’ “durability and manoeuvrability”.

The Osaka Institute of Technology has also had a hand in the creation of some of the androids.

The competitors include three two-legged ‘bots and one robot on wheels. The robots will be allowed battery changes and repairs if needed, but they will have to get up unassisted if they fall down.

Robots will have to complete a 100 metre circuit 422 times to complete a full 42.195-km marathon. That’s 26.2 miles for people who don’t use the metric system.

The race, which is expected to last four days, kicks off on February 24.