Chinese humanoid robots delivered record-breaking performances at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, with machines posting results faster and higher than some of the best marks ever achieved by humans.
More than 2,000 humanoid robots are taking part in the five-day event, which features 51 disciplines and over 1,000 competitions, including running, soccer, table tennis, weightlifting and tug of war.
One of the biggest moments came in the 100-meter sprint, where a robot from Beijing-based X-Humanoid finished in 9.39 seconds. That was faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human world record set in 2009.
Another X-Humanoid robot reached 2.88 meters in a standing high jump, dramatically improving on the 0.95-meter best recorded by a humanoid robot at last year’s event. The height also exceeded Javier Sotomayor’s 2.45-meter human high jump world record from 1993, although the robot event uses a different jumping format.
Ahead of the official competition, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone company Honor reportedly completed a 100-meter trial in 9.32 seconds, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second.
The games are being held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, which was built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Hundreds of robots also marched together during the opening ceremony in a large demonstration of synchronized movement.
The event highlights China’s rapid progress in humanoid robotics as competition with the United States intensifies. China currently produces a large share of the world’s humanoid robots, while U.S. authorities have increased scrutiny of Chinese robotics companies over national security concerns.
Despite the eye-catching performances, experts say humanoid robots are still mainly being used for research, demonstrations and entertainment. Large-scale deployment in everyday workplaces and homes is expected to take considerably more development.