Usain Bolt's 2009 world record for the 100-meter dash still remains unbroken at 9.58 seconds, but only if we're talking about humans. During the second annual World Humanoid Robot Games that kicked off in Beijing on Saturday, the Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot completed the 100-meter dash in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat. Developed by Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the record-holding robot overtook Honor's Lightning robot, which completed the sprint in 9.47 seconds. Despite the impressive finish times, don't expect these humanoid robots to be used for any commercial purposes yet. After their sprints, they slammed directly into pads and some even required human assistance to be stretchered off the course.

World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing saw a robot break Usain Bolt's 100-meter record at 9.39 seconds. The FCC has banned imports of Chinese humanoid robots.

Robots can outrun humans, but can they plug in a cable? Booster Robotics humanoid robots walk in formation during the opening ceremony for the second World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on Saturday. Beijing - China's humanoid robots have shown they can run quicker than the fastest humans. Now comes the real test: can they also handle packaging and warehouse operations while reliably performing precision tasks like connecting cables designed to evaluate their ability to work like humans in less flashy jobs? The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games, which began Saturday in Beijing, combine events modeled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and in emergency situations.

Usain Bolt's 100m record broken at World Humanoid Robot Games A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor ran 100 metres (328ft) in 9.32 seconds, China's state broadcaster has reported, beating the human world record held by Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt. The robot, dubbed Lightning, reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres (47.6ft) per second during a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened in Beijing on Saturday. China has been promoting humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry, with policymakers and companies betting that advances in AI and hardware will accelerate their deployment in manufacturing, logistics and consumer applications. Lightning also won the 21km (13-mile) Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the elite men's human world-record pace. The robot stood 169cm (5.5ft) tall and had 95cm (3.1ft) legs at the half marathon.

Say More Look Up Mashable Selects Mashable Voices Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series While robots are getting pretty good at sprinting, stopping is apparently still an issue. Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets. A few humanoid robots have apparently encountered issues while preparing for the track events. The second World Humanoid Robot Games will kick off this weekend in Beijing, China, gathering tech companies and university groups from around the world to test their robots across 50 events .

Some of the world's most advanced robots showed off their skills at tech shows and sporting events, doing everything from cooking shrimp to running half marathons This striking humanoid robot is the R1 from Robbyant, a company owned by Chinese tech giant Ant Group. The allure of humanoid robots is their versatility - you can imagine them doing any job that a human can, simply because they have the same appendages. But unlike wheeled robots, they have to deal with balancing on two legs, which is no mean feat. The R1 strikes a balance, with a stable wheeled base and a humanoid form from the waist up. The R1 certainly made an impressive entrance at the IFA 2025 tech show in Berlin, where it demonstrated its skills in the kitchen, cooking up shrimp - albeit at a very relaxed pace.

The first World Humanoid Robot Games have concluded in Beijing with more than 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they took part in events ranging from the 100m (109-yard) hurdles to kung fu. Two hundred eighty robotics teams from 16 countries competed at the Chinese capital's National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Events included traditional sports such as athletics and basketball as well as practical tasks such as medicine categorisation and cleaning. "I believe in the next 10 years or so, robots will be basically at the same level as humans," 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan said. Human athletes might not be quaking in their boots just yet.