What Happens When Robots Learn To Run?

A humanoid robot has just run 100 metres faster than any human ever has.

At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, Tiangong Ultra completed the distance in 8.64 seconds, almost a full second quicker than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record.

There is, however, a fairly important difference between the two performances: Bolt could stop. Tiangong Ultra crossed the finish line at speed and relied on a padded barrier to bring its run to an end, highlighting the slightly strange position humanoid robotics has reached.

Engineers can now build a machine capable of running at extraordinary speeds, while some of the movements humans barely think about remain much harder. Slowing down safely, adjusting to an obstacle or changing direction might not make for quite such an impressive record, but they’re essential if robots are going to move beyond demonstrations and operate around people.

Running Is Only Part Of The Problem

The 100-metre record is impressive, but building the world’s fastest robot isn’t really the ultimate aim. Tiangong’s developers are trying to improve the movement, balance and control that could eventually allow humanoid robots to operate reliably in factories, commercial environments and emergency situations, with early versions already being tested on industrial tasks such as moving boxes.

That helps explain why competitions involving robots running, jumping and occasionally crashing into things aren’t quite as frivolous as they might appear. Pushing a robot to move quickly tests its motors, joints, balance and control under conditions where small mistakes become very obvious. The Games reflected that broader purpose too, with tasks based on warehouse work, factory assembly, EV charging, restaurant service and emergency response alongside the athletics. More than 40% of events required robots to operate autonomously.

Being able to sprint down a perfectly straight track is therefore only one part of a much bigger challenge. A useful robot also needs to know where it’s going, react when something unexpected gets in the way and move around people and objects safely, preferably without requiring a crash mat at the other end.

From Fast Movement To Useful Movement

There’s an interesting difference between the things that make headlines and the things that could eventually make humanoid robots useful. Running 100 metres in 8.64 seconds is immediately understandable because we have a human record to compare it with, whereas watching a robot successfully navigate a cluttered warehouse, carry something without dropping it or plug in a cable doesn’t have quite the same spectacle.

Those less dramatic abilities may ultimately matter much more. Tiangong Ultra shows how quickly the physical capabilities of humanoid robots are developing, but it also demonstrates the distance between performing an impressive movement and using that movement safely in the real world.