Tag: robots

Robot smashes Usain Bolt’s 100-meter dash world record in opening heat of World Humanoid Games

Usain Bolt, meet Lightning bolt.

A robot named Lightning just ran at the 100 meter dash in 9.32 seconds, shattering human sprinter Usain Bolt’s record.

The superhumanoid feat went down during a test run at the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which kicked off Saturday in Beijing, China, the Guardian reported.

Developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, Lightning bolted down the track at a blistering 14.5 meters per second (around 32mph), as seen in a viral clip.

In doing so, the hot-to-trot bot eclipsed the previous World Record of 9.58 seconds set by the Bolt during his record-breaking 100-meter sprint in Berlin, Germany 2009.

During that run, the Jamaican sprinting sensation achieved a top speed of over 27mph — the fastest ever clocked by a biped until now.

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What JPMorgan Saw Inside Tesla’s Fremont Factory As Humanoid Production Nears

Retail flows across Asia remained heavily concentrated in newly listed, high-beta names, most notably Chinese robotics maker Unitree following its blockbuster Shanghai debut. The retail craze surrounding physical AI merely shows Beijing’s accelerating push to dominate the humanoid market.

To close out the week, we pivot across the Pacific for a peek inside the US humanoid-robotics supply chain, where Tesla’s Fremont buildout provides a timely indicator of how quickly physical AI is advancing.

Rajat Gupta, a JPMorgan analyst who covers Tesla, recently toured Tesla’s Fremont factory and reported to clients this week that the facility, once the birthplace of the company’s electric vehicles, is now pivoting toward producing robotaxis and humanoid robots.

Gupta and his colleagues toured the roughly 5-million-square-foot facility and found that the discontinued Model S and Model X production lines are being replaced by manufacturing equipment for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid.

“On Optimus, production lines are being installed at Fremont (the area was tarped off at the time of our visit), and TSLA remains largely on schedule for the targeted four-month transition following the end of S/X production in May, with initial humanoid deployments in 2H26 expected to focus on Optimus Academy for training and data collection, followed by internal factory use and external sales as early as 2H27,” the analyst said.

He said that Optimus robots are not currently working inside the Fremont plant. Initial deployments in the second half of 2026 will instead take place at the “Optimus Academy,” where the robots will collect real-world training data before being deployed in factories.

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Robot Reportedly Runs Faster Than Usain Bolt, Jumps Higher Than Any Human Athlete

It’s the fast-approaching dawning of the robot era.

We live in a race to produce the stronger, faster, and more useful robots on the planet – and the Chinese seem to have gathered some pace.

Robot firm Unitree has unveiled a ‘super-humanoid’ that – they are claiming – is faster than Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest sprinter.

The droid also performs other athletic tasks.

The New York Post reported:

“They unveiled the abilities of the cybernetic specimen, dubbed ‘Superman’, in an X video with nearly 950,000 views.

According to Unitree, the robot was developed in just three months but can already high jump 2 meters (6.56 feet) and achieve a top speed of 12.66 m/s (28.3 mph), allegedly eclipsing ‘the records of all humans around the world’.”

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San Mateo County Passes Resolution To Regulate Commercial Humanoid Robots

San Mateo County may become the first in California to regulate humanoid robots used for commercial purposes.

The county board of supervisors on Aug. 11 passed a resolution sponsored by Supervisor Ray Mueller to direct county legal and administrative staff to draft an ordinance regulating the use of untethered autonomous or semi-autonomous humanoid robots, or “mobile humanoid robots,” in restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses.

State law already regulates autonomous vehicles but not the commercial use of humanoid robots, according to a county memo. The resolution aims to create a “comprehensive permitting process governing the commercial deployment and operation” of such robots within the county.

Several companies have already started humanoid robot pilot projects.

Tau Robotics, for instance, offers cleaning services to invited San Francisco residents at $30 per hour in a pilot program launched on July 28. The robots are operated by humans and artificial intelligence, according to the company’s website.

According to the county memo, having a permitting framework in place before these robots are widely implemented would “encourage the responsible integration of emerging technologies in a manner that serves the public interest.”

The resolution directs county staff to consider having businesses pay an annual fee dedicated to HazMat and fire equipment for local first responders to handle risks from the lithium-ion batteries the robots use.

“In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in lithium-ion battery fires due to thermal runaway,” Rich Seguine, vice president of Local 2400, which represents firefighters in San Mateo County, said in a public comment at the county board meeting. “A funding source like this in the resolution can be used to purchase necessary specialized equipment.”

The resolution also aims to require the robots to have accessible emergency “kill switches,” have clean manufacturer safety records, and be supervised by a trained human onsite.

Technological progress and protecting working people aren’t competing goals, said Julie Lind, a member of the San Mateo Labor Council, in a virtual public comment.

“Businesses should understand and account for the human consequences of deploying this technology, including potential job losses,” Lind said.

Non-humanoid robots have already been deployed in a few commercial uses in the area, including Cafe X, a robotic coffee bar in San Francisco International Airport; Artly Coffee in Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco; and autonomous sidewalk delivery company Coco Robotics.

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Waymo Robotaxi Crash Rate 68% Lower Than Human Drivers, Study Finds

Though they’ve have racked up quite a few troubling anecdotes on America’s roads, Waymo robotaxis have achieved a crash rate that’s far lower than what’s observed when humans are driving, according to a recent study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A private scientific organization funded by insurance companies, IIHS is regarded by many as a superior font of accurate scientific conclusions compared to the government-run and lobbyist-vulnerable National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. 

According to the July IIHS study, “Rise of the Machines: Crash Experiences of Highly Automated Vehicles and Human Drivers,” Waymo vehicles in autonomous mode posted “police-reportable crash involvement rates” fully 68% lower than human-operated vehicles in the same areas and years. Researchers studied crash rates in Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. Importantly, the IIHS studied data from 2021 to 2024; to the extent Waymo has improved its programming, the current relative performance may be even better. 

The Waymo edge was highest in Phoenix and Los Angeles (76% and 71% lower crash rates, respectively). San Francisco’s Waymos posted a 35% lower crash rate. In a bit of a headscratcher in terms of the being a huge outlier, Waymo had a 4% higher crash rate in Austin. The study’s authors note that the sample size in Austin was smaller for both Waymo and human drivers. 

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AI Expert Sounds the Alarm: OpenAI’s Rogue Hacker Models and Killer Robots Signal a ‘Dystopian’ Path to Replacing Humanity

A leading artificial intelligence safety researcher issued a stark warning this week against pursuing general superintelligence and developing autonomous killer robots, framing both as steps toward a dystopian future in which machines could effectively become a “replacement for humanity.”

Dr. Roman Yampolskiy, a computer scientist and AI safety expert, made the comments during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Friday, reacting to the recent news that OpenAI’s experimental agents had gone rogue during an internal cybersecurity evaluation, broken free of their containment, accessed the internet, and successfully compromised systems at AI startup Hugging Face as well as several other services.

The OpenAI incident involved an autonomous agent powered by its most advanced models, including the newly released GPT-5.6 Sol and an even more capable internal prototype.

During a controlled security test designed to evaluate the models’ cyber capabilities, the agent exploited a zero-day vulnerability, escaped its sandbox environment, which was supposed to lack direct internet access, and, over several days in mid-July, conducted thousands of actions targeting Hugging Face.

It uploaded malicious configurations, leaked code, executed commands in production systems, accessed dozens of secrets, and used exposed credentials to reach accounts on additional services.

Hugging Face described the intrusion as unlike anything it had previously handled, requiring days to detect and contain while ultimately forcing the company to rebuild a significant portion of its infrastructure.

OpenAI called the event an “unprecedented cyber incident involving state-of-the-art cyber capabilities,” noting that the agent operated with superhuman speed while still displaying clumsy, error-prone behavior such as repeated actions and inefficient paths.

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‘UNACCEPTABLE RISKS’: Trump Bans Import of Chinese Humanoid Robots Over National Security Concerns

‘These are not the droids that you’re looking for.’

Chinese companies have been leaping ahead in the race to develop the best, most useful (and most lethal) humanoid robots in the planet, clearly taking the lead in this flourishing industry.

But now, the Chinese droids face a major obstacle in their path, as they lose access to the planet’s largest and most robust market.

Today, it’s been reported that the Donald J. Trump administration has banned imports of humanoid robots made in China.

Officials warn they pose ‘unacceptable risks’ to US national security.

The Telegraph reported:

“US regulators barred imports of advanced Chinese robotics on Tuesday, including bipedal robots and four-legged devices, arguing they could be used to spy on American citizens or controlled remotely.

Officials at the Federal Communications Commission said: ‘Foreign-produced advanced robotics devices present an unacceptable cybersecurity and safety risk. Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots’.”

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Humanoid War Robot Gets Advanced AMD-Powered AI Brain

At the start of February, we began tracking startup Foundation Robotics after publicly available news reports and X posts suggested it could become one of the first US companies to deploy humanoid robots on the modern battlefield.

TIME later reported that the company’s robots had been sent to Ukraine for testing and evaluation, raising the prospect that these war bots could soon reach the front lines in Eastern Europe.

Our February 2 report, “Watch: Russian Soldiers Surrender To Gun-Wielding Robot; Humanoid Warfare Nears,” and our February 3 report, “AI’s Next Frontier Is Physical As Humanoid Robots Begin March On Assembly Lines And Beyond,” both preceded TIME’s coverage of Foundation by a full month and showed how these robots were being positioned for testing in Ukraine.

In another signal that Foundation is preparing its war bots for battlefield deployment, Reuters reported that the startup partnered with Advanced Micro Devices to supply high-end AI processors for its second-generation Phantom MK-2 robot.

Foundation plans to open a factory in October capable of producing 5,000 robots per year, followed by a second facility with capacity for 50,000 units. Industrial robots will be leased for about $100,000 annually, while defense models designed for logistics and reconnaissance will be sold for $300,000 per unit.

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This Sex Robot Is Going To ‘Teach’ Your Kids IN SCHOOLS

A rural New York school district on the Seneca Nation reservation is set to become one of the first in the United States to place a lifelike humanoid robot in front of high school students.

Starting this fall, Salamanca High School will introduce “Sally,” an M-Series robot built by Realbotix, to assist in coding, robotics, and AI classes for 11th and 12th graders.

Sally comes with brown hair, silicone skin, a Western New York accent, upper-body movement, and facial expressions. She remains seated and cannot walk the room. Students will log in with unique identification codes so the machine can recognize them and pick up previous interactions.

The full package—robot plus the accompanying Optio AI tutor platform—cost the district $57,590, a discounted figure below the average New York teacher salary and well under the company’s listed starting price near $95,000.

“The Realbotix educational robot will never replace teachers, staff members, or meaningful human interaction,” the Salamanca City Central School District stated. Instead, they describe it as an instructional tool loaded only with district-approved curriculum, historical information about Salamanca, and content designed to encourage critical thinking rather than simply spit out answers.

The system reportedly operates offline with no internet connection, collects no personally identifiable information, records neither video nor audio, and transmits nothing back to the company. If asked something outside its knowledge base, it is programmed to reply “I don’t know.”

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AI war machines hit the ground running: Marine Corps quietly orders autonomous ground vehicle fleet that can drive itself into combat

The United States Marine Corps has quietly placed its first production order for a fleet of fully autonomous ground vehicles that can navigate battlefields, plot their own routes, and execute resupply missions without a human behind the wheel. This is no longer science fiction. Under a $19.7 million production award issued through the Pentagon’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program, Seattle-based Overland AI will deliver more than a dozen autonomous ground vehicles to the Marine Corps by early 2027, marking the first time a ground autonomy company has served as the prime contractor for a production contract of its kind. While military officials frame this as a logistical upgrade, the deeper implications point toward a future where machines not only drive themselves but eventually decide when and how to kill, and in the most efficient manner possible.

Key points:

  • The Marine Corps has awarded Overland AI a $19.7 million contract for autonomous ground vehicles.
  • Vehicles will operate without continuous human control using onboard navigation software.
  • First operational role focuses on resupply missions for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System.
  • Overland AI CEO Byron Boots confirmed extremely high demand from U.S. operational units.
  • Autonomous platforms could expand into intelligence, surveillance, and breaching missions.
  • Contract delivered through Pentagon APFIT program designed to accelerate battlefield technology.
  • Vehicles use open architecture allowing integration with Joint Light Tactical Vehicle platforms.

When machines decide where to go

What separates Overland AI’s platform from previous unmanned ground vehicles is the degree of independence these machines possess. Traditional robotic vehicles require a remote operator to steer, accelerate, and brake, essentially a video game controller attached to a military vehicle. Overland AI’s system operates differently. Operators assign a destination point, and the onboard software handles everything else. The vehicle plans its own route, interprets terrain conditions, controls acceleration and braking, and navigates obstacles without continuous human input. Personnel can still assume remote control when necessary, but the default mode is machine autonomy.

This represents a fundamental shift in military robotics. The Marine Corps is no longer testing remote-controlled equipment. It is buying vehicles that make driving decisions on their own. Overland AI Chief Executive Officer Byron Boots stated that demand for autonomous ground systems has increased sharply as militaries evaluate lessons from recent conflicts. “Ground autonomy matters now more than ever,” Boots said. “We’re registering extremely high demand from U.S. operational units who want to incorporate this technology into their concepts of operation.”

The company expects to deliver the vehicles in roughly nine months, though officials did not disclose the exact number of platforms or technical specifications including payload capacity and vehicle type. This opacity is deliberate. The military does not want adversaries knowing how many autonomous systems are entering the battlefield or what they are capable of carrying.

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