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Lightning Robot Smashes 100-Meter Sprint Record in 9.32 Seconds

8/25/2026

24 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Lightning, a Chinese humanoid robot, completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second record.
The robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second during the trial.
Researchers lengthened Lightning’s legs from 95 centimeters to 1.05 meters before the competition.
Spectators noted the robot crashed into foam padding and required removal after the race.

History

Historical Context

Honda began humanoid research in 1986, producing the P2 prototype in 1996 and unveiling the ASIMO robot in 2000. After ASIMO’s worldwide tours and retirement in 2022, China’s Institute of Automation has launched a new bipedal platform aiming for higher speed, spurring renewed competition from Boston Dynamics and MIT’s CSAIL.

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Story summary

Lightning, a Chinese humanoid robot, completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second record.
The robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second during the trial.
Researchers lengthened Lightning’s legs from 95 centimeters to 1.05 meters before the competition.
Spectators noted the robot crashed into foam padding and required removal after the race.

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