Chinese Robot Beats Usain Bolt's 100m Record

A humanoid robot developed by the Chinese company Honor ran 100 meters in 9.32 seconds, thereby breaking the world record set by legendary sprinter Usain Bolt, according to Chinese state television.

The robot, named Lightning, reached a top speed of 14.5 m per second during a preparatory test ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Bolt holds the human record with a time of 9.58 seconds, which he set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Lightning had already made headlines in April when it completed the 21-km Beijing Half Marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, a pace faster than the men's world record.

Since then, the developers have lengthened the robot's legs from 95 to 105 centimeters. China is investing heavily in humanoid robotics, which it considers a strategic sector with potential applications in manufacturing, logistics and consumer services.

(Reuters, mja)