A robot runs 100 metres in 8.86 seconds, faster than the human world record

A Chinese robot called Tiangong Ultra ran 100 metres in 8.86 seconds on Tuesday. That is 0.72 seconds faster than the fastest time by a human, 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2009. The robot has a human-like body. It was racing in Beijing at the World Humanoid Robot Games.

The new time also broke the same robot’s own record. On Saturday, it ran the same distance in 9.39 seconds. At last year’s games, it won the same race in 21.50 seconds. So Tiangong Ultra has become much faster in a short time.

But the record run did not end well. There was a barrier after the finish line to stop the robots. Tiangong Ultra hit the barrier, fell down, and made sparks from its middle. A small fire started in its body. In another race, a different robot fell apart while it was running.

The games show how fast human-shaped robots are improving. More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams are competing in 51 events, including football, dancing and work tasks. The robot’s makers say it has also beaten human records in the 400 metres and the high jump.

China sees robots like Tiangong Ultra as an important new industry. Companies want to use their new motors and sensors in factories, moving goods and providing services. That is why this race was not just sport. It was a real test of new technology.