Key Points
- A humanoid robot ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds
- The feat came at the opening of the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, with 2,056 robots competing
- Team participation jumped 138% from last year's inaugural edition, underscoring how fast humanoid robotics is advancing
The Latest:
A humanoid robot completed the 100-meter dash in 9.39 seconds at the opening ceremony of the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, breaking Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s world record of 9.58 seconds, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency.
Details:
- The Race: The 100m dash took place at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval as the Games opened Saturday, per Xinhua.
- Competitors: Honor Device Co.’s “Lightning” robot and the “Tianzhu” robot both ran the 100m event, according to a photo caption published by Bloomberg.
- Scale: This year’s Games include 51 events and 1,301 competitions, with 666 teams and 2,056 humanoid robots from around the world, Xinhua said.
- Schedule: Competition runs through Wednesday and spans athletics, soccer, weightlifting, tug-of-war, table tennis and simulated service tasks, per Xinhua.
By the Numbers:
The robot’s 9.39-second run beat Bolt’s 9.58-second mark, while team participation rose 138% from last year’s inaugural Games, according to Xinhua.
What to Watch:
Competition continues through Wednesday at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, with remaining events and service-simulation tasks still to be completed among the 666 participating teams, according to Xinhua.
