During the opening day of the competition on Saturday, the machine completed the 109-yard dash in 9.39 seconds, eclipsing the 9.58-second record set by the Jamaican sprinter in 2009. However, stopping proved to be a physical challenge; video footage showed the sprinting robots slamming into a protective cushion and falling to the ground before being carried away on stretchers.
X-Humanoid achieved further success when another of its robots set a new record in the standing high jump. The machine cleared 2.88 meters, surpassing the human record of 2.45 meters established by Cuba's Javier Sotomayor in 1993.
Not all machines performed flawlessly. Several robots tripped, fell, shattered into pieces, or even caught fire during the various events.
The Olympics-style event, now in its second year, features more than 2,000 participating humanoid robots. Organizers designed the competition to highlight China's rapid advancements in advanced robotics, showcasing contests in sports like running, soccer, and table tennis. 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.
The technological showcase comes amid rising geopolitical tensions. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns directed at China. Additionally, the Pentagon recently designated Unitree, a prominent Chinese robot manufacturer, as a company with ties to the Chinese military—an accusation that Beijing has firmly rejected.
While China currently leads global production in humanoid robotics, with domestic manufacturers reporting thousands of orders from private enterprises and government bodies, some experts remain cautious. They note that the technology is currently utilized primarily for performances and demonstrations, suggesting that widespread real-world deployment will require more time.
