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After outrunning Bolt, China's robot champion races towards real-world work
The robot finished 100 metres in 8.64 seconds, while X-Humanoid said it is testing humanoids for factory work and other commercial uses.
TianGong Ultra stunned spectators at the World Humanoid Robot Games by covering 100 metres in 8.64 seconds, nearly a full second faster than Usain Bolt's world record.
Lead engineer Guo, a 34-year-old developer at X-Humanoid, spearheaded the project after early trials saw dramatic failures; "Legs broke, waists broke," he said, forcing the team to train three distinct motion-control strategies.
Weighing 75kg, Ultra faced significant braking challenges at speeds exceeding 17 metres per second, often slamming into crash mats; yet it surpassed 10 metres per second to reel in rivals through late acceleration.
Beyond racing, X-Humanoid is testing practical applications at Beijing's Foton Cummins engine factory, where its Tianyi 2.0 model trialled lifting 8-12 kg boxes onto shelves in early-stage industrial exploration.
Guo expects smaller humanoids to find early roles in commercial services, while Ultra could eventually perform outdoor inspections and emergency rescue as the team transforms high-performance capabilities into reliable, autonomous AI systems.