Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 22
Honor Humanoid Robot Runs 100m in 9.32 Seconds, Beating Bolt's 9.58 Record
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 22

Honor Humanoid Robot Runs 100m in 9.32 Seconds, Beating Bolt's 9.58 Record

3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 22

Summary

  • Lightning, a humanoid robot built by Honor, clocked 9.32 seconds in a 100-meter test in Beijing, faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second men’s world record from 2009.
  • 14.5 meters per second was its reported peak speed at the preparatory event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened in Beijing on Saturday.
  • CCTV said researchers lengthened the robot’s legs by 10 cm to 1.05 meters after April, when Lightning won the Beijing half marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
  • China is pushing humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry, betting AI and hardware advances will speed their use in factories, logistics and consumer applications.

Insights

How did a smartphone maker's liquid-cooled robot shatter Usain Bolt's legendary sprint record in just 9.32 seconds?
If sprinting robots struggle with basic walking, are these record-breaking machines true breakthroughs or just high-tech PR stunts?
With robots now outrunning humans, what hidden engineering trade-offs prevent them from entering our everyday lives?