Chinese robot Tiangong Ultra beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record

A Chinese humanoid robot has shattered the 100-meter world record, clocking in at 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, outpaced the previous record of 9.58 seconds set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009. Another competitor, Honor's Lightning, also ran faster than Bolt's record in a preparatory test, finishing its heat in 9.47 seconds.

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Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won its heat at the opening of the games' second edition, organisers said.

These impressive times mark a significant leap from the previous year's games, where Tiangong Ultra completed the 100 meters in 21.50 seconds. The robot also claimed victory in the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon, surpassing the pace of elite human runners. Researchers have been refining the robots, with Lightning's leg length increased to improve performance.

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The robot overtook smartphone maker Honor's Lightning near the finish after falling behind early in the race.

The 100-meter race is just one of 51 events at the games, which also feature competitions in football, dancing, and industrial tasks. China views humanoid robots as a key strategic industry, anticipating their widespread use in manufacturing, logistics, and consumer applications. This outlook is reflected in the market, where shares of Unitree, a prominent Chinese humanoid robot manufacturer, surged dramatically in its Shanghai trading debut.

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Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds, also faster than the 9.58-second record Bolt set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

This year's games have seen substantial growth, attracting 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries, a significant increase from the inaugural event. The competition is being held at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval and will continue through Wednesday.

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