Chinese Humanoid Robot Runs 100 Metres in 9.39 Seconds at Beijing Games
Tiangong Ultra finished faster than Usain Bolt's long-standing world record during a preliminary heat at the World Humanoid Robot Games.
Beijing1 min read
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A Chinese humanoid robot named Tiangong Ultra completed 100 metres in 9.39 seconds on Saturday at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The time beat the human men's world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt in 2009.
The robot, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won its preliminary heat. It overtook Honor's Lightning near the finish. Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds, also under Bolt's mark.
Last year at the inaugural games, Tiangong Ultra took 21.50 seconds for the same distance. The improvement shows rapid progress in balance, actuators and control software for bipedal machines.
More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries took part in the five-day event. Events range from sprinting and high jump to industrial tasks and football.
Both leading robots struggled to stop. Tiangong Ultra slammed into a protective mat and stumbled into the sidelines. Lightning collapsed and was carried off on a stretcher.
China has pushed humanoid robotics as a strategic industry. The games serve as a public demonstration of capabilities that could transfer to manufacturing, logistics and service roles. The results arrive amid ongoing competition with the United States over advanced AI and physical AI systems.
Organisers listed 51 events. A separate robot completed 400 metres in 39.7 seconds, under the human world record of 43.03 seconds.
The finish-line crashes highlight remaining challenges in high-speed deceleration and stability. Developers will need to solve those before the machines can operate safely around people at speed.
