Humanity lost the 100-meter dash to a robot this weekend. We retain a comfortable advantage in stopping.
At Beijing’s World Humanoid Robot Games, Tiangong Ultra ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds — faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human world record.
Then came the difficult part.
After crossing the finish line, the robot kept going, crashed into the padded barrier, and produced the sort of sparks normally associated with a warranty claim. Another competitor managed 9.47 seconds before collapsing and being carried away.
The robots will spend the rest of the games tackling warehouse work, package handling, and other tasks requiring slightly more finesse than running very quickly into a wall.
The future is coming fast. Brakes remain under development.
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