More than 2,000 robots have gathered in Beijing for the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games, where a machine named Tiangong Ultra has broken Usain Bolt's 100m record with a time of 8.86 seconds.
The games feature 2,056 robot athletes competing across 51 events, including boxing, tug-of-war, breakdancing, ping-pong, tennis, football and simulated firefighting. Organisers say the competitions are designed to test robots for future use in household services, industrial tasks and firefighting.
Records smashed on track and field
Tiangong Ultra also broke the men's 400m record, finishing in 38.15 seconds, beating the previous mark of 43.03 seconds. In the high jump, one robot cleared 2.88m, surpassing the human world record of 2.45m.
In the boxing ring, robots are competing in metal-on-metal bouts. Other events include tug-of-war, breakdancing and housekeeping tasks, where machines attempt simple chores such as dusting shelves.
Malfunctions and fires steal the show
Social media is full of clips showing robots tripping over their own feet, face-planting into safety barriers, or wandering off-track to startle spectators. Some have burst into flames, and smoking, malfunctioning robots have been carried off the track on human-sized stretchers.
One incident showed a robo-sprinter disintegrating mid-race while another robot scuttled past. The games have drawn large crowds, with spectators laughing at the machines' glitches and mishaps.
