A robot surpassing Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record might sound like science fiction, but it recently occurred in Beijing. Humanoid robots are advancing rapidly, and their latest achievements demonstrate remarkable technological progress.
At the World Humanoid Robot Games on Saturday, August 22, the Chinese humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra ran the 100 meters in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary race. This time beat Bolt’s 9.58-second world record, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Tiangong Ultra secured first place in its race on the opening day of the games’ second edition.
It wasn’t the only robot to surpass Bolt’s record. Lightning, a humanoid robot from Chinese technology company Honor, completed its preliminary race in 9.47 seconds. Lightning initially led before Tiangong Ultra overtook it near the finish line.
Both robots experienced some difficulty after crossing the finish. Tiangong stumbled toward the sidelines, while Lightning collapsed and had to be carried away.
Nevertheless, these times represent a significant improvement over last year’s inaugural event, where Tiangong Ultra won the 100 meters in 21.50 seconds.
The competition extends far beyond sprinting. The games feature 51 events, including football, dancing, and industrial-task competitions, evaluating the robots across a variety of physical and practical activities.
According to the Beijing government, this year’s event has drawn over 2,000 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries and six continents, a substantial increase from the 280 teams at the inaugural edition.
The games are being held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval and will conclude on Wednesday, August 26.
