At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, TienKung covered 100 metres in 9.39 seconds — faster than Usain Bolt’s world record. Just a year ago, the best result over this distance was 21.50 seconds. In a year, the time has more than halved — an impressive sign of progress in robotics.
At the competition, robots do not only run, but also play football, box and do gymnastics. These tests check how well a machine can move quickly, keep its balance and control its body in real time.
Still, there is no need to worry about a robot uprising just yet: after crossing the finish line, TienKung crashed into an electrical cabinet at full speed. It seems brakes are more important than world domination for now.
