A Chinese humanoid robot named Tiangong Ultra ran the 100 meters faster than Usain Bolt’s human world record on Saturday at the World Humanoid Robot Games, spotlighting Beijing’s booming robotics sector.
Robots Outrun Bolt, Then Buckle at the Finish
In the event held in Beijing, the robot clocked 9.39 seconds in a preliminary heat, edging Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second mark set in 2009. Honor’s robot, Lightning, finished second at 9.47 seconds, also beating Bolt’s record, before collapsing.
Tiangong stumbled toward the sidelines and crashed into a padded barrier meant to stop the robots. Lightning fell and had to be carried away on a stretcher.
Lightning also won the Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon, finishing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. Its 50-minute, 26-second finish was faster than the men’s human half-marathon world record of 57:20.
In November 2023, China identified humanoid robots as a strategic industry, expecting advances in AI and hardware to boost their use in manufacturing and logistics.
Investor Appetite Heats Up
That optimism was evident this week when shares of Unitree Robotics, China’s leading humanoid robot maker, rose more than fivefold on their first day of trading in Shanghai. The surge valued the company at nearly $50 billion, according to Reuters.
The games drew 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries, up sharply from last year’s 280 teams.
The exhibition of China’s strength in humanoid robots follows the U.S. Federal Communications Commission adding foreign-made humanoid robots to its Covered List, barring new imports as it pushes a domestic supply chain.
Photo Courtesy: Elnur on Shutterstock.com
