#ICYMI: HONOR's humanoid robot clocks a faster 100m time than Usain Bolt's world record

Tiangong Ultra ran 9.39 seconds, edging past Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record.

HONOR humanoid robot

Robot outruns Bolt's sprint record

A Chinese humanoid robot ran 100 metres in 9.39 seconds in a preliminary heat at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a faster time than the men's world record held by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

According to a Reuters article, the robot, Tiangong Ultra, was developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center and won its heat at the opening of the games' second edition, organizers said. It fell behind early in the race before overtaking smartphone maker Honor's robot, Lightning, near the finish. Lightning crossed in 9.47 seconds, also beating Bolt's 9.58-second record, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Neither robot managed Bolt's showmanship at the line. Both crashed into a thick mat positioned to stop them, with Tiangong veering wildly off course into the sidelines and forcing spectators to clear out of the way, while Lightning collapsed to the ground and had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Even with the rough finishes, the times mark a major jump from last year's inaugural games, when Tiangong Ultra won the 100 metres in 21.50 seconds. Tiangong also won the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon, held in Beijing last year.

Chinese state media have reported that Lightning had clocked 9.32 seconds over 100 metres in a preparatory test, hitting a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second. Lightning also won this year's half-marathon event for humanoid robots, finishing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, a pace Reuters noted was faster than the elite human men's world record.

Lightning measured 169 centimetres tall with 95-centimetre legs during the half-marathon; its developers later extended its legs by 10 centimetres, to 1.05 metres, ahead of the games, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The 100 metres was one of 51 events at the games, which also featured football, dancing, and industrial-task competitions.

This year's games attracted 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries and six continents, a sharp jump from the 280 teams that competed at the first edition.

What do you think?

Via: Reuters