Tiangong Ultra Wins 100 Meters in 8.64 Seconds, Beating Bolt's 9.58 Record

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

8.64 seconds gave China’s Tiangong Ultra the large-size robot 100-meter title on the final day of Beijing’s World Humanoid Robot Games, nearly a full second faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58 human record.
That mark improved on a 9.39 run earlier in the week and showed how quickly humanoid speed is advancing as teams prioritize raw acceleration over braking—some robots slammed into a wall after finishing.
Christian Hubicki of Florida State called the feat a major milestone for legged robotics, saying motors and joints have long been capable of outrunning humans once coordination improved enough to prevent falls.
The games still exposed major limits: robots often relied on tightly scripted commands and external cameras, while their onboard intelligence remained too narrow for reliable stopping, reacting or practical real-world use.
More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams competed across 51 events, underscoring China’s strength in athletic humanoid demos even as experts warn useful autonomy remains far behind headline-grabbing speed.