A humanoid robot named Lightning, developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, drew widespread attention over the weekend after Chinese media reported it completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds, faster than the historic world record set by athletics legend Usain Bolt.
Bolt established the official world record for the 100-meter dash in 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin with a time of 9.58 seconds. According to reports, Lightning beat that mark by 0.26 seconds, reaching a peak speed of approximately 14.5 meters per second during a preliminary test.
The run was not conducted under the supervision of World Athletics, the sport's governing body, so it carries no significance for the record books. Still, the mere fact that a two-legged machine can move at such speeds demonstrates the extraordinary pace of progress in humanoid robotics.
