A New Frontier in Robotics: Humanoid Robots Conquer Everest
Kathmandu, May 17 — Humanoid robots have captured the attention of spectators around the world after showcasing their athletic abilities during a half-marathon in Beijing last month. These machines sprinted through the 21-kilometre course, proving that robotics is evolving rapidly and could soon redefine what’s possible in extreme environments.
Inspired by these advancements, a team of researchers is now proposing an even more ambitious challenge for a humanoid robot: climbing Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. This idea has sparked discussions about the future of robotics and its potential to assist in hazardous mountain operations.
The Half-Marathon Breakthrough
During the April 19 half-marathon in Beijing, over 100 robot teams participated in the event. Several of these machines completed the race faster than professional athletes. The winning robot, developed by Chinese smartphone company Honor, finished the course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—faster than human winners and several minutes ahead of the current half-marathon world record set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon on March 8 at 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
This achievement has inspired Geologic Dome, a United States-registered non-profit organization, to propose deploying a humanoid robot on Everest during the 2026 spring climbing season. The project, named PEMBA, aims to test whether robots can help collect garbage, monitor glaciers, and assist in hazardous mountain operations on Everest, where tonnes of waste still remain.
Regulatory Challenges and Future Plans
The proposal involves using the Unitree G1, a 35-kilogram fully electric humanoid robot designed for advanced mobility and dexterous operations. However, the project faces a unique obstacle: Nepal currently has no legal framework governing non-human climbers on Everest.
Himal Gautam, director at the Department of Tourism, stated that the ministry has directed them to prepare a draft incorporating concerns, modalities for charging fees, and other aspects. Once the basic guidelines are enacted, permission will be granted.
Because the regulatory process is still underway, the project is unlikely to move forward in the ongoing spring climbing season, which ends on May 29. Organizers are now hoping to conduct a test expedition in autumn instead or in winter.
Prajjwal Acharya, manager at Fourteen Peaks Expedition, said the plan remains on hold until the government finalizes separate regulations for non-human Everest expeditions.
Technical Challenges and Innovations
The Unitree G1 is a compact humanoid robot standing around 1.32 metres (about 4.33 feet) tall, with 23 to 43 joint degrees of freedom, allowing agile movements such as dancing, walking, and flipping. Under the proposed mission, expedition members would disassemble the robot and carry it along Everest’s climbing route before reassembling it at various camps for testing.
At each location, the robot would operate in supervised sessions lasting between 20 and 40 minutes within a 100- to 200-metre radius of a base station. Researchers hope to collect the first-ever dataset on humanoid robot movement, battery performance, and joint torque under extreme Himalayan conditions.
The proposal also outlines plans for the robot to collect garbage from various camps using its three-finger mechanical hands, each capable of carrying payloads of between two and three kilograms. Organizers say the demonstrations would support Nepal’s Clean Mountain Strategy 2025-2029.
Engineering Solutions for Extreme Conditions
Operating a humanoid robot in Everest’s death zone presents extraordinary engineering challenges. According to the proposal, lithium-ion batteries can lose between 50 and 80 percent of their capacity at temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius. To address this issue, the team plans to use custom heated battery enclosures, quick-swap pre-warmed battery packs, and insulated carrying systems managed by expedition staff.
The proposal also notes that standard lubricants freeze in extreme cold, while precision gears can become misaligned because of thermal contraction. To address the problem, the team plans to use aerospace-grade fluorinated lubricants similar to those used in Mars rovers and spacecraft mechanisms.
Real-Time Adaptation and Communication
The terrain itself remains one of the greatest unknowns. No bipedal robot has walked on Everest-grade mixed rock, ice, and moraine. To overcome that challenge, the team says it is working with researchers associated with Google DeepMind to develop reinforcement-learning locomotion systems capable of adapting to unstable terrain in real time.
Communication poses another challenge. Since cellular networks do not exist above Everest Base Camp, the project plans to use a Starlink terminal at base camp while relying on fully autonomous onboard systems higher on the mountain.
Long-Term Impact and Future Goals
The expedition is expected to produce a feature-length documentary intended for international distribution, potentially positioning Nepal as an emerging testing ground for extreme-environment robotics research. If approved, the project would mark not only the first humanoid robot deployment on Everest but also the first time Nepal formally recognizes the possibility of a non-human climber on the world’s highest peak.
