On August 24, 2026, an article was published on China's portal site, Sohu, introducing that the running style of a Chinese robot is attracting attention.

The article explained, 'Recently, a video of a humanoid robot participating in a 400-meter dash became a big topic of discussion on overseas social media. When the video is played in slow motion, it can be seen that the robot violently twists its upper body from side to side while running, its head also constantly shakes, and furthermore, its arms do not swing back and forth like a human's, but rather the overall movement appears very unnatural.'

It then introduced, 'At first glance, it looks like a strange running style, similar to the 'deviant types' that appear in the anime 'Attack on Titan.' However, on the internet, there were analyses suggesting that this running style might be generating a reaction force by rotating the body, thereby increasing the propulsion of the lower body. Some people also considered that the gyroscopic effect caused by the rotation might be improving stability when running straight at high speeds.'

It further mentioned, 'This robot may have found the most efficient and fastest running style for itself. This point is the most interesting part. According to online discussions, this type of robot is not taught an exaggerated running style like its current one from the beginning. First, humans teach it a relatively natural running style, and then it repeatedly undergoes trial and error through reinforcement learning.'

It also argued, 'Human running styles are the result of evolution within physical constraints such as bones, muscles, joints, and balance capabilities. Swinging the arms, stabilizing the core, and keeping the head steady are all most rational for the human body. However, robots do not have such constraints. Their weight distribution, joint structure, and motor drive systems are completely different from humans. It is not surprising that if AI is allowed to search for the optimal solution, it might arrive at a running style completely different from that of humans.'

Furthermore, it stated, 'Some people on the internet even joked, 'The day might come when this strange running style is actually proven to be rational.' Of course, the physical conditions of robots and humans are completely different. However, similar examples exist in real-world sports. Some long-distance runners enhance efficiency by adopting unique postures during high-speed running, and in some competitions, movements that might appear strange to the average person are actually adopted.'

The article pointed out, 'This robot has challenged the common sense that humans have long taken for granted. Movements that are natural for humans are not necessarily the most efficient. Until now, robot development has emphasized replicating human-like movements. However, with the development of AI and reinforcement learning, robots are gradually moving away from that idea. If the goal is 'to run faster,' then factors such as whether the movement is beautiful or human-like are not important.'

It concluded, 'Furthermore, if we expand our imagination, there is even a possibility that in a few decades, human athletes might be seriously studying the running style of robots, which is currently laughed at as being like a 'deviant type.' Considering this, even the strange running styles that appear in anime can no longer be dismissed as entirely baseless fantasy. Movements that seem absurd at first glance might actually conceal rationality. It's just that humanity has not yet arrived at that answer.' (Translation/Editing by Iwata)