The Humanoids at China’s Robot Games Were Faster Than Usain Bolt—but I’m More Impressed by Their Tweezer Mastery

The World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing hosted over 600 teams and 2,000 robots from China and 15 other nations. Tiangong Ultra ran 100 m in 8.86 seconds and jumped 7.97 m; Honor’s Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds. New tasks required robots to plug sockets and deposit trash, showcasing high-power motors and simulation-trained manipulation algorithms.