A robot sprinter shatters a 100-meter record again as sparks fly at China's robot competition
- A humanoid robot broke the 100-meter record at China's World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Wednesday, finishing in 8.64 seconds.
- The record was the second consecutive day of record-breaking at the Games, with a robot running 8.86 seconds on Tuesday and 9.39 seconds four days earlier.
- More than 2,000 humanoid robots competed in Olympics-style events including soccer, boxing and running during the five-day Games in its second year.
- Several robot runners, including the champion, crashed into barriers after crossing the finish line, causing sparks and requiring fire extinguishers.
- The winning robot model is Tiangong Ultra, developed by Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics (X-Humanoid), founded in 2023.
- Experts noted that while robots show progress on predictable tracks, the real challenge is autonomous operation in complex real-world environments like warehouses and factories.
A humanoid robot set a new 100-meter sprint record at China's World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Wednesday, completing the distance in 8.64 seconds. This marked the second consecutive day of record-breaking at the event, following a 8.86-second run on Tuesday and a 9.39-second performance four days earlier. For context, the men's 100-meter world record stands at 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2009.
The five-day Games, now in its second year in Beijing, featured more than 2,000 humanoid robots competing in Olympics-style events including soccer, boxing and running. All three records were set by the same robot model, Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics (X-Humanoid), a company founded in Beijing in 2023.
During the competition, several robot runners including the champion crashed into padded barriers after crossing the finish line, with sparks flying from some machines. Staff members rushed to spray the fallen robots with fire extinguishers, and almost all were eventually carried away on stretchers. Beyond racing, robots also competed in real-world tasks including housework, hotel services and emergency response.
Experts acknowledged the progress humanoid robots have made on the track, where conditions are relatively predictable. However, they emphasized that true progress will be measured in more complex environments. According to Jonathan Hurst, a robotics professor at Oregon State University, "True progress will be measured in warehouses and factories where humanoids do work autonomously for hours and generate real economic value."
机器人短跑选手再次打破百米纪录 中国机器人竞赛现火花四溅
中国北京世界人形机器人运动会周三举行的百米短跑比赛中，一台人形机器人创造新纪录，成绩为8.64秒。这是该赛事连续第二天刷新纪录，周二机器人跑出8.86秒，四天前为9.39秒。相比之下，男子百米世界纪录为9.58秒，由尤塞恩·博尔特在2009年创造。
为期五天的运动会已是北京第二届举办，共有超过2000台人形机器人参赛，参加足球、拳击和短跑等奥运风格项目。三项纪录均由同一机器人型号天工超创造，该型号由北京人形机器人创新中心（X-Humanoid）开发，该公司成立于2023年。
比赛中，包括冠军在内的多台机器人在冲过终点线后撞上缓冲栏，部分机器人产生火花。工作人员迅速用灭火器喷洒倒地的机器人，几乎所有机器人最终都被用担架抬走。除了竞速外，机器人还参加了家务、酒店服务和应急响应等现实任务的竞争。
专家认可了人形机器人在条件相对可控的跑道上取得的进展，但强调真正的进步应该体现在更复杂的环境中。俄勒冈州立大学机器人学教授乔纳森·赫斯特表示，"真正的进步将在仓库和工厂中衡量，人形机器人在那里能够自主工作数小时并产生真实的经济价值。"