Humanoid Robots Run Differently from Humans

Tiangong, a general-purpose humanoid robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, completed a 100-meter sprint in 8.64 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games, far surpassing Usain Bolt's 2009 human world record of 9.58 seconds.

The robot's average speed approached 42 km/h. Experts note that while this achievement highlights the robot's power, it also exposes shortcomings in decision-making and perception, as humanoid robots brake by crashing into soft pads. Humanoid robots run differently from humans: first, Bolt's start took only 0.

146 seconds, whereas the robot took nearly a second to react and begin moving; Bolt completed the 100 meters in just 41 steps, while the robot took over 50 steps, with a faster cadence and shorter stride. Park Suhan, a robotics professor at Kwangwoon University in South Korea, stated that the robot's gait reflects the performance of its motors rather than a deliberate attempt to mimic human sprinting. Another expert believes that if the robot's stride is too large, it can easily fall.

Top human athletes decelerate in the final stages of a sprint, but the Tiangong robot showed no signs of slowing down, ultimately crashing headfirst into a soft pad. In the coming years, robots capable of turning and making autonomous decisions will be more impressive than simply increasing speed.