● Covered by 6 sources · 7 reportsLow impact7 neutral
Humanoid Robots Surpass Usain Bolt's 100m Record at World Humanoid Robot Games
Key points
- Tiangong Ultra ran 100m in 9.39 seconds, Honor's Lightning in 9.47 seconds.
- Both times are faster than Usain Bolt's 9.58-second human record.
- Robots reached average speeds of 23.83 mph and 23.62 mph.
- The robots crashed into foam pads after crossing the finish line.
- Tiangong Ultra ran 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games.
- The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center developed Tiangong Ultra.
- Tiangong Ultra won the 100-meter dash in 21.5 seconds at last year's games.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games are in their second year.
- The games kicked off in Beijing on Saturday.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games launched in 2025.
- 2,056 robots from 16 countries are participating this year.
- Categories include sprinting, jumping, football, and boxing.
- Tiangong Ultra ran the 400-meter race in 38.16 seconds.
- Tiangong Ultra's 400-meter time beat Wayde van Niekerk's 43.03-second record.
- Robots crashed into barriers and fell down.
- Some fallen robots broke at the waist in a shower of sparks or caught fire.
- The games were hosted in Beijing from August 22–26.
- Robots performed kung fu, dance moves, fought in kickboxing, and played table tennis.
- Robots were tested in practical scenarios like washing and hanging laundry.
- Chinese state media and the Beijing city government are event organizers.
- Over 660 tech companies participated in the games.
- Robots performed martial arts and kickboxing.
- Robot teams marched into the arena with flag-waving captains on giant robotic dogs.
- Honor's robot lost a leg mid-sprint.
- A robot burst into flames after bouncing off a crash mat.
- A weightlifting robot toppled into the judges' table.
- Robotic cheerleaders stumbled through routines.
- A robot fell off a platform.
- Tesla's Optimus robots served drinks at a Cybercab event in October 2024.
- Unitree robots performed martial arts at the Spring Festival Gala in February 2026.
- A robot ran 100 meters in 8.86 seconds at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
New Speed Records Set by Humanoid Robots
At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, two Chinese humanoid robots achieved new speed records for the 100-meter dash. The Tiangong Ultra completed the race in 9.39 seconds, while Honor's Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds. These times surpass Usain Bolt's 2009 human world record of 9.58 seconds.
Performance Details and Comparison
The Tiangong Ultra maintained an average speed of 23.83 mph (38.34 kph), marginally faster than Bolt's 23.35 mph (37.58 kph). Honor's Lightning achieved an average speed of 23.62 mph (38.01 kph). These results highlight significant advancements in autonomous bipedal robot design and control.
Rapid Improvement in Robot Locomotion
The progress in humanoid robot speed has been rapid. The Tiangong Ultra, which also won the 100-meter race last year, improved its time from 21.50 seconds to 9.39 seconds in just one year. This contrasts with human record progression, where it took nearly a century to shave just over a second off the 100-meter record set in 1912.
Challenges in Controlled Stopping
Despite their speed, the robots demonstrated a lack of controlled stopping. After crossing the finish line, both the Tiangong Ultra and Honor's Lightning collided with foam pads. A third robot also crashed into the padding, indicating that controlled deceleration and stopping mechanisms are still areas for development in humanoid robot design.
Broader Competition at the Games
The 100-meter dash was one of 52 competitions held during the five-day World Humanoid Robot Games. Other events included boxing, football, dancing, and various industrial task contests, showcasing a range of capabilities for humanoid robots beyond just speed.
Updates
- Tesla's Optimus robots served drinks at a Cybercab event in October 2024.
- Unitree robots performed martial arts at the Spring Festival Gala in February 2026.
- A robot ran 100 meters in 8.86 seconds at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
- Honor's robot lost a leg mid-sprint.
- A robot burst into flames after bouncing off a crash mat.
- A weightlifting robot toppled into the judges' table.
- Robotic cheerleaders stumbled through routines.
- A robot fell off a platform.
- Over 660 tech companies participated in the games.
- Robots performed martial arts and kickboxing.
- Robot teams marched into the arena with flag-waving captains on giant robotic dogs.
- Robots crashed into barriers and fell down.
- Some fallen robots broke at the waist in a shower of sparks or caught fire.
- The games were hosted in Beijing from August 22–26.
- Robots performed kung fu, dance moves, fought in kickboxing, and played table tennis.
- Robots were tested in practical scenarios like washing and hanging laundry.
- Chinese state media and the Beijing city government are event organizers.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games launched in 2025.
- 2,056 robots from 16 countries are participating this year.
- Categories include sprinting, jumping, football, and boxing.
- Tiangong Ultra ran the 400-meter race in 38.16 seconds.
- Tiangong Ultra's 400-meter time beat Wayde van Niekerk's 43.03-second record.
- Tiangong Ultra ran 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games.
- The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center developed Tiangong Ultra.
- Tiangong Ultra won the 100-meter dash in 21.5 seconds at last year's games.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games are in their second year.
- The games kicked off in Beijing on Saturday.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Primary sources
arXiv 2505.02833How outlets covered it
Recent demonstrations of humanoid robots, such as Tesla's Optimus serving drinks and Unitree robots performing martial arts, create an impression of rapid advancement. However, robotics experts indicate that many impressive feats rely on teleoperation or highly controlled environments, masking fundamental difficulties with tasks like grasping objects autonomously.
The second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing showcased advancements and failures in humanoid robotics, with robots setting new records in events like sprinting and high jump, while also experiencing malfunctions such as losing limbs, catching fire, and toppling over. The event, significantly larger than its inaugural year, highlighted both athletic and practical task competitions for humanoid robots.
China hosted the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, featuring over 2,000 humanoids from more than 660 tech companies. The event demonstrated China's engineering advancements in humanoid robotics, with robots competing in various events like sprinting and martial arts.
The second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing featured robots surpassing human 100-meter sprint records, but also demonstrated limitations with robots crashing and malfunctioning. This event highlights rapid advancements in robotic control for specific tasks while also revealing ongoing challenges in general robotic dexterity and safety.
Humanoid robots at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing have surpassed Usain Bolt's 100-meter dash record, with Tiangong Ultra running in 9.39 seconds and Lightning in 9.47 seconds. This event showcases advancements in bipedal robot technology, demonstrating progress in robotic locomotion and speed.
The Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot completed the 100-meter dash in 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games, surpassing Usain Bolt's human record of 9.58 seconds. This event demonstrates advancements in humanoid robot locomotion, though practical applications are still limited.
Two Chinese humanoid robots, Tiangong Ultra and Honor's Lightning, recorded 100-meter dash times of 9.39 and 9.47 seconds respectively, exceeding Usain Bolt's human record of 9.58 seconds. This development demonstrates rapid progress in bipedal robot locomotion, though the robots still lack controlled stopping mechanisms.