This Chinese humanoid robot is faster than Usain Bolt
What's the story
Chinese smartphone maker Honor's humanoid robot, Lightning, has broken the human world record for the 100m dash. The robot completed the distance in an impressive 9.32 seconds during a test run for the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Lightning's performance surpassed Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds set at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin back in 2009.
Speed record
Lightning previously won Beijing half marathon
During its test run, Lightning reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second.
The robot had previously won the 21-km Beijing half marathon in an impressive time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds, which was faster than the elite men's human world-record pace.
At that time, Lightning stood at a height of 169cm with legs measuring 95cm.
Industry advancement
China pushes for humanoid robots
China has been pushing for the development of humanoid robots as a key emerging industry. Policymakers and companies in the country are betting on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and hardware to speed up their use in manufacturing, logistics, and consumer applications.