Technology · Singapore Bureau
Chinese humanoid robot smashes 100m record at Beijing Olympics
A Chinese-built humanoid robot completed the 100-metre sprint in 8.64 seconds at a five-day robotics competition in Beijing, eclipsing Usain Bolt's human world record by nearly a second.
LSN Singapore ·
BEIJING — A Chinese humanoid robot has set a new benchmark for athletic performance, completing the 100-metre dash in 8.64 seconds during the closing day of an international robotics competition on Wednesday.
The achievement surpassed the longstanding human world record of 9.58 seconds set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009, underscoring the rapid advancement in robotic engineering and artificial intelligence capabilities.
The feat marked the culmination of a five-day competition featuring numerous robotic athletes competing across various disciplines. The event showcased the current state of humanoid robot development, with participants demonstrating both impressive performances and notable technical challenges, including several high-profile mechanical mishaps during demonstrations.
The competition served as an industrial showcase, bringing together robotics developers and researchers to test prototypes in competitive settings. The 100-metre sprint result highlights how robotic systems have progressed in recent years, though experts note that humanoid robots designed for speed differ significantly from their human counterparts in design and application.
The event reflects growing investment in robotics research across Asia, particularly in China, where such competitions are increasingly used to advance autonomous systems technology.