Chinese humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m world record
A Chinese humanoid robot has clocked a 100-metre time faster than Usain Bolt’s men’s world record at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.
Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won its preliminary heat on Saturday in 9.39 seconds, according to organisers.
The time was quicker than Bolt’s 9.58-second world record, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Tiangong Ultra initially trailed Honor’s humanoid robot, Lightning, but overtook it near the finish line. Lightning completed the race in 9.47 seconds, also beating Bolt’s record.
The performance represents a major improvement for Tiangong Ultra, which won last year’s inaugural 100-metre race in 21.50 seconds. The robot also claimed victory in the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon, held in Beijing last year.
Earlier on Saturday, Chinese state media reported that Lightning had recorded a 9.32-second 100-metre time during a practice run, reaching a top speed of 14.5 metres per second.
Lightning also won this year’s humanoid half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, completing the event at a pace faster than the elite men’s human world-record pace.
Researchers later modified Lightning ahead of this year’s games by extending its legs by 10 centimetres. The robot stands 169 centimetres tall and originally had 95-centimetre legs.
The 100-metre race is one of 51 events at this year’s games, which also feature football, dancing and industrial-task competitions.
China has identified humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry, with policymakers and technology companies investing heavily in artificial intelligence and robotics for potential applications in manufacturing, logistics and consumer services.
Investor interest in the sector has also surged. Unitree, one of China’s best-known humanoid robot manufacturers, saw its shares rise more than fivefold during its Shanghai debut earlier this week, giving the company a market value of about $50 billion.
This year’s World Humanoid Robot Games have attracted 2,056 robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries across six continents, a significant increase from the 280 teams that participated in the inaugural event.
The competition is being held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval and will run until Wednesday.
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