Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games
China makes the majority of the world’s humanoid robots. The U.S. has stepped up scrutiny of robots from the country. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots.
Key takeaways
- The most recent humanoid‑robot news centers on China’s rapid advances and market activity.
- Unitree Robotics debuted on the Shanghai stock exchange in mid‑August, its shares soaring up to 629 % and giving the company a valuation of about US $66 billion.
- At the same time, Beijing hosted the second World Humanoid Robot Games, where more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries competed in track events, table tennis, soccer and real‑world tasks such as household chores and emergency rescue.
- Chinese teams set new athletic records, including a 100‑meter sprint completed in 9.39 seconds—faster than Usain Bolt’s human record—and a standing high‑jump of 2.88 metres, surpassing the human world record.
- The games also featured competitions in weightlifting, tug‑of‑war and practical scenarios like luggage delivery and library shelving.
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China makes the majority of the world’s humanoid robots. The U.S. has stepped up scrutiny of robots from the country.
Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots. The FCC cited national security reasons in a move that targeted China. The Pentagon recently also added Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, to its list of companies that it deemed have ties with the Chinese military. Beijing has hit back at the accusations.
At Saturday’s opening of the robot games, the organizer and robot makers said that Chinese humanoid robots defeated human world records, as hundreds of humanoid robots marched in formation onto the field in a massive display of synchronized coordination.
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The five-day games, now in its second year, are a spectacle demonstrating China’s rapid progress in advanced robotics as the technology race with the U.S. heats up, with 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions taking place including running, table tennis and soccer.
The games, which are taking place in the National Speed Skating Oval built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, opened the same week as Beijing held the 2026 World Robot Conference, where companies showcased around 3,000 products, including humanoid robots. Related Stories
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