Robots beat Usain Bolt's 100m record in Beijing

The World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing has witnessed a new milestone in bipedal robotics, as the Tiangong Ultra robot shattered the 400‑meter world record by completing the distance in 9.39 seconds. The robot, built by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, edged past the 9.58‑second record set by Usain Bolt in 2009 and was followed closely by the Honor‑developed Lightning, which finished in 9.47 seconds.

The Games, launched in 2025, serve as an annual “robot Olympics” that showcases advances in humanoid technology. This year, 2,056 robots representing 16 countries competed in a series of heats and finals, with the preliminary round on Saturday featuring the record‑breaking performances. The event has quickly become a benchmark for evaluating speed, balance, and control in autonomous bipedal machines.

These achievements underscore the rapid progress in robotics, demonstrating that machines can now match, and in some cases surpass, human athletic benchmarks. As the competition continues, researchers and engineers anticipate further breakthroughs that could reshape the future of autonomous mobility and human‑robot interaction.