Humanoid robots are entering new areas of application, and the latest example comes from China, where the robot Tien Kung was recently used for the first time to test running shoes. This innovation marks a major shift in how athletic products are designed and improved, moving beyond the traditional reliance on human testing.
The testing took place at the Li-Ning Sports Science Research Center in Beijing. There, experts equipped the robot with running shoes and sent it onto a complex 3D treadmill and a 200-meter indoor track to gather real-world performance data.
The experiment focused on key features such as impact absorption, rebound, and overall efficiency during motion. What would normally take weeks of data collection from athletes can now be gathered much faster and with greater accuracy.
Tien Kung is fitted with advanced sensors embedded in its joints, allowing for precise biomechanical data collection during each movement. These metrics are highly detailed and difficult to obtain from human participants due to natural variability.
Unlike people, mechanical testers do not experience fatigue or changes in behavior during testing. This consistency allows for repeated trials without external influences, delivering reliable and comparable results.
Using robots in this industry opens the door to faster product development, reduced costs, and design optimization based on objective information. In the future, this type of technology could become standard in sports engineering and the development of high-performance footwear.