The news
Tiangong Ultra, built by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, completed the 100-meter dash in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat. The Honor-developed Lightning followed at 9.47 seconds. Both results fell below the longstanding human record. Tiangong Ultra also claimed a new mark in the 400-meter event at the same competition.
Context
The World Humanoid Robot Games began in 2025 as an annual showcase for bipedal machines. This year’s edition drew 2,056 robots from 16 countries to Beijing. Organizers frame the gathering as a robot olympics focused on walking and running hardware rather than industrial arms or wheeled platforms. The sprint results mark the first time machines have surpassed the benchmark Usain Bolt established in 2009.
The event runs across multiple days and includes track and field disciplines tailored to humanoid platforms. Organizers position the competition as a direct test of locomotion systems under timed conditions. Attendance figures and participation numbers indicate growing interest from research groups and commercial teams working on full-body bipedal designs.
Details
The Verge reported that Tiangong Ultra’s 9.39-second run occurred on Saturday in a preliminary heat. Lightning’s 9.47-second performance came in the same session. The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center machine additionally lowered the 400-meter record during the multi-day program. No official final times or wind readings have been published yet.
Engadget noted the machines’ gaits appeared awkward despite the recorded speeds. Observers described the motion as stiff and inefficient compared with human sprint form. Neither developer released actuator specifications, sensor layouts, or power budgets at the time of reporting.
The competition continues with additional events that probe balance, endurance, and obstacle navigation. Organizers have not disclosed whether the sprint surfaces were flat indoor tracks or outdoor lanes. Video footage shows both robots maintaining forward momentum without falls, though recovery steps after the finish line looked uncontrolled.
Reactions / counterpoints
No statements from Bolt or human athletics officials appear in the coverage. The two source reports focus on the raw times and visual appearance rather than competitive context. Some observers have questioned whether the timing systems used standard IAAF calibration or simplified electronic triggers.
Why it matters
Hardware teams now treat sprint performance as a measurable benchmark for bipedal locomotion. Faster recorded times will likely shift research budgets toward higher-torque joints and real-time balance algorithms rather than static demonstrations. For engineers evaluating suppliers, the gap between these machines and earlier prototypes shows measurable progress in dynamic stability over the past year.
The same platforms have not yet demonstrated repeated runs at those speeds or transfer of capability to uneven surfaces. Public data remains limited to single-heat results on controlled tracks. Teams that need reliable locomotion for warehouses or outdoor inspection will still require additional validation before adopting these specific designs.
The Beijing results therefore serve as a narrow but concrete data point on current limits of humanoid sprint hardware. They highlight that speed alone does not yet translate to practical versatility. Future editions of the games will reveal whether the same teams can sustain or improve these numbers under varied conditions.
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Sources:
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