Chinese robots beat the human records in the 100-metre and 400-metre races at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, which opened on Saturday for a five-day run, showcasing rapid advances in artificial intelligence-driven robotics technology.The Tien Kung Ultra robot developed by Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics Co finished the 100-metre preliminary heat Saturday in 9.32 seconds, beating the 9.58-second world record set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in Berlin in 2009. After finishing the race, the machine crashed into a mat set up for deceleration and caught fire.
The same humanoid model clocked 38.15 seconds in the 400-metre final Sunday, faster than the 43.03-second world record logged by South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Over 2,000 humanoid robots, fielded by more than 660 teams from 16 countries, are participating in the event. The inaugural games in the Chinese capital last August saw the participation of 280 teams, with the 100-metre sprint won in 20.50 seconds and the 400-metre race in 1 minute 28.03 seconds.
Around 90% of the teams are from China, with Brazil, Germany and the United States also represented.
The entrant of Japan's GMO Internet Group, developed by China's Unitree Robotics, participated in track and field races, including the 400 metre for small-size robots, but the machine failed to win in the category.
