Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games

Chinese humanoid robots shattered human records during the opening day of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday. Over 2,000 robots participated in the five-day event, which is part of a spectacle showcasing China's rapid advancements in robotics. The games, held at the National Speed Skating Oval built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, featured 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions including running, table tennis, and soccer.

A humanoid robot achieved a world record 100-meter sprint time of 9.39 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's 9.58-second record set in 2009. In the high jump event, a robot reached a height of 2.88 meters, exceeding the previous human record of 2.45 meters set by Cuba's Javier Sotomayor in 1993. Both record-breaking robots were from Beijing-based X-Humanoid.

Other notable performances included a 100-meter sprint by a robot from Chinese smartphone company Honor, completed in 9.32 seconds, and a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second.

While humanoid robots are mostly used for demonstrations, performances, and research, experts note that their abilities are rapidly improving. Some spectators expressed excitement about the robots' capabilities, while others, like education worker Li Yanfeng, acknowledged the unforeseen potential of artificial intelligence. This year's robot games, which include participants from Germany, Japan, and the US, also featured other events such as weightlifting and tug of war.