# The Fastest Robot in Beijing Needed a Human to Pick It Up Off the Ground

- slug: the-fastest-robot-in-beijing-needed-a-human-to-pick-it-up-off-the-ground
- date: 2026-04-22
- category: Robotics

Two-thirds of the robots at last month's Beijing half-marathon were human-controlled. The fastest machine still crashed and needed help to finish. Stanford quantified the gap: 89% success in simulation, 12% in a real home.

---