Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record at Beijing games

A Chinese humanoid robot ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds in a preliminary heat at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday.

The time beat the men's world record of 9.58 seconds, held by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt since 2009.

Which robot beat Usain Bolt's 100m record?

Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won its heat at the opening of the games' second edition, organizers said. The robot overtook smartphone maker Honor's Lightning near the finish after falling behind early in the race. Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds, also faster than Bolt's record.

Both robots lacked Bolt's flair on the finish line. They slammed straight into a thick mat designed to stop them, with Tiangong stumbling wildly into the sidelines and forcing onlookers to move out of the way. Lightning was carried away on a stretcher after collapsing to the ground.

The results marked a sharp improvement from last year's inaugural games, when Tiangong Ultra won the 100 meters in 21.50 seconds. Tiangong also won the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon, held in Beijing last year.

How fast have Chinese robots run in testing?

Chinese state media reported that Lightning had run 100 meters in 9.32 seconds in a preparatory test earlier on Saturday, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second. Lightning also won this year's humanoid half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the pace of the elite men's human world record.

Lightning stood 169 cm tall with 95-cm legs during the half-marathon. Its researchers later lengthened its legs by 10 cm, to 1.05 meters, ahead of the games, broadcaster CCTV reported. The 100 meters is one of 51 events at the games, which also include football, dancing and industrial-task contests.

Why is China investing heavily in humanoid robots?

China has promoted humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry. Policymakers and companies are betting that advances in AI and hardware will accelerate their use in manufacturing, logistics and consumer applications.

Investor enthusiasm for the sector was on display earlier this week when shares in Unitree, China's best-known humanoid robot maker, jumped more than fivefold in its Shanghai trading debut on Wednesday. The listing gave the company a market value of about $50 billion. This year's games have drawn 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries and six continents, up from 280 teams at the inaugural event. The games, held at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, run through Wednesday.