● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 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.
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.
✨ 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.
Reporting from
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.