Honor's robot sets new world record in 100-meter sprint

On August 22, the second World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off in Beijing, with the Honor team's robot 'Lightning' making headlines during the preparatory phase of the sprint events. The robot achieved a time of 9.32 seconds over 100 meters, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second, surpassing the previous human world record of 9.58 seconds. The event, co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Government and China Central Television, features 50 competitions, with stricter requirements compared to the first edition. All but two events now require full autonomy, and the completion times for the sprint categories have been reduced to 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes. Lightning will compete in the 100-meter, 400-meter, and 1500-meter events, running from the August 22 evening heats to the August 26 finals. In April, Lightning previously set a record in the Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon, finishing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. High Shimeng, head of the embodied intelligent perception business at Honor's new industry incubation department, revealed that the robot's legs were extended by 10 centimeters, increasing the effective leg length to 1.05 meters, which improved stride length and speed. Internal adjustments included a lighter, more efficient structure and enhanced joint modules for greater torque and response speed. Lightning's marathon speed is around 7 to 8 meters per second, and its peak speed in the upcoming competition is expected to exceed this. For the 100-meter race, Lightning will use a purely visual approach with cameras added to the hips to maintain lane accuracy. In the 400-meter event, radar will be used on the head to ensure the robot stays on course.