More than 300 humanoid robots participating in China’s second robot half-marathon on Sunday will be facing tougher terrain designed to test their technical advancements, as Beijing seeks to develop the industry into a major pillar of its economy. Over 70 teams, almost five times as many as last year, will be competing in the 21 km (13 miles) race in Beijing that includes paved slopes and parkland. “It will certainly be interesting to see the progress in durability of components and battery lifetime compared to last year,” said Georg Stieler, Asia managing director and head of robotics at Stieler, a technology consultancy. “Humanoid robot makers need to find a balance between quality in products which are still under constant ⁠evolution and price ​pressure.” While all of last year’s entrants were remotely controlled, this time almost 40% of the robot participants will navigate the course autonomously, the organisers have said, in a high-profile demonstration of the industry’s growing capabilities. But the event is also likely to highlight the challenges Chinese firms face as they try to …