Two Chinese robots at the World Humanoid Robot Games in China eclipse the 9.58-second world record Usain Bolt set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships
BEIJING, China – 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, August 22, faster than the men’s world record held by Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt.
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 the 9.58-second record Bolt set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
The two robots lacked Bolt’s flair, slamming straight into a thick mat designed to stop them in their tracks, with Tiangong stumbling wildly into the sidelines, forcing onlookers to move out of the way. Lightning was carried away on a stretcher after collapsing to the ground.
