A humanoid robot built by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds, according to Chinese state media on Saturday, eclipsing the human world record established by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
Named Lightning, the machine attained a peak velocity of 14.5 meters per second during a preparatory trial for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which commenced in Beijing on Saturday.
The run surpassed the men’s 100-meter world benchmark of 9.58 seconds, which Bolt set at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009.
China has been championing humanoid robotics as a strategic emerging sector, with policymakers and businesses expecting advancements in artificial intelligence and hardware to speed deployment across manufacturing, logistics, and consumer applications.
Lightning also finished first in the 21-kilometer Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, running faster than the elite men’s human world-record pace.
At the time of the half marathon, the robot measured 169 centimeters in height with 95-centimeter legs. Researchers later expanded its leg length by 10 centimeters to 1.05 meters ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games, China Central Television reported.