Chinese humanoid robot sets new 100-meter sprint record
A Chinese humanoid robot achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new 100-meter sprint record of 8.86 seconds in Beijing on Tuesday, surpassing both its robotic competitors and the fastest recorded human time, reports BritPanorama.
The race was part of China’s World Humanoid Robot Games, an Olympic-style competition currently in its second year in Beijing. This event also serves as a showcase for China’s rapid advances in robotics amid an escalating technology rivalry with the U.S.
The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot improved upon its previous record of 9.39 seconds, which it had set just three days earlier during the event’s opening on Saturday.
In comparison, the men’s 100-meter world record, held by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, stands at 9.58 seconds, set in 2009. Experts have expressed astonishment at the rapid progress within the humanoid robot industry.
“This is a significant milestone — not simply because the robot ran faster than a human, but because of what it takes to make a bipedal robot run at this speed,” said Dennis Hong, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Hong also noted the complexities involved as speed increases, including balance, control, impact management, actuator performance, and mechanical robustness.
The record-breaking robot fell after crossing the finish line, hitting a padded barrier and causing sparks to fly from its waist. Hong highlighted that this incident raises crucial questions about robots’ abilities to move and stop safely, recognize unexpected obstacles, recover from mistakes, and maintain functionality—capabilities that enhance their practical value.
The games encompass over 1,300 competitions featuring more than 2,000 robots across 51 events, including running, long jump, table tennis, and even ballroom dancing. Unlike the traditional Olympics, these robots also compete in teams on real-world tasks such as household chores, hotel services, and emergency response.
China’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, mentioned that “‘Housekeeper’ and ‘caregiver’ robots are still in the pilot and validation phase,” but emphasized that “challenges are precisely where the focus of development lies … China’s robotics industry is evolving toward higher quality and innovation.”
