Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record in test run

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor ran ‌100 meters in 9.32 seconds, China’s state broadcaster reported on Saturday, ​beating the human world record held by Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt.

The robot, dubbed Lightning, reached a peak ​speed of 14.5 meters per second during a preparatory test ⁠event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which ‌opened ‌in ​Beijing on Saturday.

The performance surpassed the 9.58-second men’s 100-metre world record set ⁠by Bolt ​at the World Athletics Championships ​in Berlin in 2009.

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 21-km Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the elite men’s human world-record pace.

The robot stood 169 cm ‌tall and ⁠had 95-cm legs at the half marathon. Researchers have since lengthened its legs by ‌10 cm to 1.05 metres ahead of the World Humanoid ​Robot Games, China Central Television reported. – Reuters