China's sprinting humanoid robot shifts focus from speed to real-world utility
Beijing's X-Humanoid robot, TianGong Ultra, ran 100m in 8.64s. Its lead engineer says the next phase is improving reliability for real-world tasks.
A week after its humanoid robot outpaced Usain Bolt's world record in the 100m sprint, the team behind TianGong Ultra is turning its attention to a more demanding objective: making the machine dependable enough for everyday work.
TianGong Ultra clocked 8.64 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games, nearly a second faster than Bolt's 9.58-second record. The feat followed days of intense testing and repairs, with engineers working around the clock between races.
Jack Guo, the 34-year-old lead engineer at the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre (X-Humanoid), said the immediate focus has shifted. "We want to turn high performance into high reliability and high usability," he said in his first interview with foreign media.
X-Humanoid operates from Yizhuang, a high-tech zone southeast of Beijing that has become a hub for robotics. The facility houses showrooms of earlier TianGong models, including one that won a half-marathon last year, and a ninth-floor workshop where engineers test and repair the latest machines.
The company, established in November 2023, is backed by state-owned and private investors, including robotics firm UBTech and tech giants Xiaomi and Baidu. It develops hardware, motion-control software, and AI for the broader industry while commercialising its own robots.
Guo likens current humanoids to early automobiles: first make them controllable, then pair reliable bodies with smarter AI. The immediate challenge, he said, is stabilising the robot's body and movement-control system for daily use, while more complex autonomous tasks will take longer to develop.
TianGong Ultra was not originally built to race. It began as an experiment to push the limits of humanoid movement. The smaller Omni model has already demonstrated practical potential, climbing from the first to the 17th floor of the company's headquarters in an internal test this year.
Guo expects smaller humanoids to find early roles in commercial services and light industry, while Ultra could eventually handle outdoor inspections or emergency rescue. One hurdle is braking: Ultra weighs 75kg and can exceed 17 metres per second at top speed, requiring future versions to be lighter and adopt safer stopping postures.
The sprint victory came after a gruelling campaign. Ultra arrived with three running strategies trained in simulation, using a different one in each race. It ran 9.39 seconds in the preliminary, 8.86 in the semifinal, and 8.64 in the final. Engineers pulled all-nighters between races, testing faster programs and repairing robots that stumbled or crashed under extreme conditions.
Even on the morning of the final, the team was testing a new program. It worked in trials but not on the competition track. Ultra's heavier legs limited early acceleration, but once it passed roughly 10 metres per second, it could build speed and overtake rivals. A faster reaction time and late surge secured the win.
After the closing ceremony, where TianGong robots wore red capes marked "Champion," Guo said he finally got a good night's sleep.