1 week ago
Tiangong Ultra Runs 100 Metres in 8.86 Seconds
Tiangong Ultra is a humanoid robot from China.
It competed in a robot sports event in Beijing.
The robot ran 100 metres in 8.86 seconds.
This was faster than Usain Bolt’s human record of 9.58 seconds.
Tiangong Ultra had previously run the distance in 9.39 seconds at the same competition.
Another robot called Lightning ran it in 9.47 seconds.
Tiangong Ultra was developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.
The robot fell after hitting a safety mat at the finish, and a small fire appeared in its torso.
China is investing in humanoid robots for possible uses in manufacturing, logistics and services.
China’s Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot completed 100 metres in 8.86 seconds in Beijing.
The run occurred during a semifinal at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games on August 25.
Its time improved on Tiangong Ultra’s opening-day mark of 9.39 seconds.
The robot’s time was faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human world record.
Honor’s Lightning robot also recorded a sub-Bolt time of 9.47 seconds.
- Who
- China’s Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.
- What
- It ran 100 metres in 8.86 seconds, improving its previous 9.39-second time and surpassing Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human record.
- Where
- The World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China.
- When
- August 25, 2026, during a semifinal; the previous 9.39-second run occurred on the competition’s opening day.
- Why
- To compete in the 100-metre large-size humanoid robot division and demonstrate advances in robotics.
Key facts
- Robot
- Tiangong Ultra
- 100-metre time
- 8.86 seconds
- Previous time
- 9.39 seconds
- Human record comparison
- Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second 100-metre record
- Event
- 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games
- Competition scale
- More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams competing in 51 events
- Other sub-Bolt result
- Honor’s Lightning recorded 9.47 seconds
Quotes
Li Hui
A 26-year-old engineer with Fudan University’s table-tennis team
“Seeing it rush past you during training is completely different. You realise how impressive it is.”
rediff.com
“Reading that a motor-powered robot can run faster than a human is one thing.”
rediff.com
Sources
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