Chinese humanoid robot Lightning beats Usain Bolt's 100m record at World Humanoid Robot Games
Consensus Summary
Chinese humanoid robot Lightning, developed by smartphone maker Honor, broke Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds by running it in 9.32 seconds during a test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which began on August 22 and run through August 26. Lightning also won the 21km Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than elite human world-record pace. The robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second and stood 169 centimetres tall, with legs lengthened by 10 centimetres for the games. Over 2,000 humanoid robots are competing in the five-day event, showcasing China’s advancements in robotics. The games include new challenges for robotic hands, reflecting the industry’s focus on real-world applications. Both sources agree on Lightning’s record-breaking performance and the event’s dates, though minor discrepancies exist in specific times and terminology.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Humanoid robot Lightning ran 100m in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's 9.58sec world record set 17 years ago.
- Lightning also won the 21km Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games are running from August 22 to 26 (second edition).
- Lightning reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second during a preparatory test event.
- Lightning was developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor.
- The robot stood 169 centimetres tall and had 95-centimetre legs at the half marathon.
- Researchers lengthened Lightning’s legs by 10 centimetres for the World Humanoid Robot Games.
- The event is called the 'second World Humanoid Robot Games' or 'second edition'.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The robot Lightning participated in a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which began on Saturday (August 22).
- The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games feature more than 2,000 humanoid robots.
- Lightning’s performance surpassed Bolt’s record at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
- The World Humanoid Robot Games opened on Saturday (August 22) and run through to August 26.
- The games mark the second edition of the event, which has been taking place for the past decade.
- The 2026 games include a challenge for robotic hands, judged on speed and accuracy in tasks like tightening screws, opening bottles, and picking up beads with tweezers.
- The event is referred to as the 'Robot Olympics'.
- Team China is collecting almost all the medals at the games.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states the 100m time was 9.32 seconds in a test run, while the second Guardian article mentions a robot from the Beijing Innovation Centre finished in 9.39 seconds during the games.
- The Guardian says the event is the 'second World Humanoid Robot Games,' while ABC refers to it as the 'second edition' of the games.
Source Articles
Chinese robot runs 100m sprint quicker than Usain Bolt’s world record
Honor’s self-developed humanoid robot clocks 9.32sec Quicker than 9.58sec men’s world record set 17 years ago Chinese smartphone maker Honor’s self-developed humanoid robot Lightning ran the 100m in 9.32 seconds, beating the human world record, China’s state broadcaster reported. The humanoid reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second during a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which begin on Saturday. This performance surpassed the 9.58sec men
Robots smash human track records, including Bolt's 100m sprint — video
Humanoid robots have smashed human track records at the five-day World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Among the records broken was Usain Bolt's 9.58-second 100m, with a robot developed by the Beijing Innovation Centre of Humanoid Robotics finishing the sprint in 9.39 seconds. A robot developed by smartphone maker Honor completed the 100m track in 9.32 seconds in a test run. Now in its second year, more than 2,000 humanoid robots are participating in the games that are intended to showcase Chin
'Lightning' the Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record
A robot dubbed "Lightning" has beaten the 100 metres human world record held by Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt at this year's World Humanoid Robot Games.
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