Chinese robot Tiangong clocks sub-9-second 100 metres in Beijing

What the report says

Chinese humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra ran the 100 metres in 8.86 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters. The result improved on the 9.39-second mark Tiangong had set earlier in the event and came in the semifinal of the large-size robot division. The time was also well below Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second men’s world record, though the comparison is symbolic because the race involved a machine rather than a person.

The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, which developed Tiangong Ultra, has been central to the robot’s progress. The article said the second edition of the games has featured more than 2,000 robots from 666 teams across 51 events, ranging from football and dancing to industrial tasks. Tiangong had already drawn attention on the opening day when it won its race after chasing down another robot near the finish.

The report also noted that Tiangong won last year’s inaugural 100m robot race in a much slower time and later took part in a humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing. A center official said the robot platform had also posted strong results in other running and jumping events, which highlights how quickly humanoid robotics is advancing in China.

The article places the result in a broader national push: China has identified humanoid robots as a strategic industry as companies and policymakers look to apply AI, sensors and motor technology in manufacturing, logistics and services.