Chinese Robot Runs 100 Meters in 8.86 Seconds

Chinese humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra set a new record at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Tuesday, running 100 m in 8.86 seconds. It improved on its previous mark of 9.39 seconds and ran more than seven-tenths of a second faster than Usain Bolt’s human world-record time of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009.

Developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Tiangong Ultra achieved the time in the semifinal of the large-size robot division. After crossing the finish line, it crashed into a thick safety mat and collapsed, with a small fire appearing in its torso following the impact.

More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams are competing in 51 events at the Beijing games, highlighting rapid advances in humanoid robotics. The center said its Tiangong robots had already surpassed four human world-record marks, including 38.15 seconds over 400 m, 2:21.64 over 1,500 m and 2.88 m in the high jump.

China has designated humanoid robots a strategic emerging industry. The center’s shareholders include state-owned enterprises and investment funds, as well as technology companies Baidu and Xiaomi’s robotics unit.

(Reuters, max)