A robot named Lightning has broken the 100-meter dash world record previously held by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The robot achieved a time of 9.32 seconds during a test run at the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which commenced Saturday in Beijing, China. This performance surpasses Bolt's record of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009.
Developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, Lightning reached a speed of approximately 14.5 meters per second, or about 32 miles per hour. During his record-setting 2009 sprint in Berlin, Bolt's top speed was clocked at over 27 miles per hour. This marks a significant advancement in bipedal locomotion speed.
This is not the first time Lightning has outperformed human athletic benchmarks. In April, the robot completed a half-marathon in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human record of 57 minutes set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo in March.
Ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games, researchers reportedly increased Lightning's leg length by approximately four inches, a modification that may have contributed to its improved performance. The robot is described as standing around 5 feet 5 inches tall with 3-foot legs, though this was prior to the recent modifications.
The World Humanoid Robot Games feature 2,056 automated athletes from 666 teams across 16 countries competing in various events. In addition to traditional athletic competitions like track-and-field and archery, the games include contests for robots performing real-world tasks such as tightening screws and picking up bottles.