Should the world’s fastest man be worried?

Wang Xingxing, founder of China’s Unitree Robotics, predicts that humanoid robots will surpass human speed limits in several months’ time, according to the Chinese media reports.

Wang did not claim that the feat would be achieved by one of the popular models manufactured by his company, but noted that the honor would likely fall on a humanoid robot developed in China.

Speaking at the event earlier this week, he said that a humanoid robot was likely to beat Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record sometime by the middle of this year, TechNode reported.

Chinese researchers at Zhejiang University have previously developed what is considered to be the world’s fastest humanoid robot.

Also called Bolt – the connection to the greatest human sprinter of all time is unclear – the robot was able to achieve a peak speed of 10 meters per second, according to its developers.

It would signal a big leap in humanoid robot development to go from clunky first steps to running faster than any human could ever do in a span of just a few years.

According to Wang, cheaper core components, fast-moving algorithms, and maturing industrial chains will drive robots out of laboratories and into the real world, from warehouse logistics to industrial inspections.

However, it’s unlikely that events like the World Humanoid Robot Games will grow beyond a niche any time soon. While entertaining, they can’t match the raw emotion of human sport – or the blood and tears athletes pour into their incredible achievements.

Usain Bolt, an eight-time Olympic champion and multiple world record holder, certainly knows that.

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