A humanoid robot running 100 metres in 9.39 seconds sounds extraordinary. At this week\u2019s World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, one machine reportedly beat the world record held by Usain Bolt, while another jumped higher than Javier Sotomayor\u2019s long-standing high jump mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the surface, these achievements appear to represent a new frontier in sport. But comparing robotic and human performance is fundamentally flawed. The World Humanoid Robot Games brought together more than 2,000 robots competing in events ranging from athletics and football to boxing and weightlifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scale of the competition and the technological progress on display were genuinely impressive. According to organisers, participation increased dramatically from previous events, while performance levels improved substantially across several disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These machines have the shape, appearance and physical characteristics of a human. However, their achievements are the product of entirely different biomechanics, making direct comparisons with athletes problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And sport has never been solely about producing the fastest time, highest jump or heaviest lift. When we watch athletes compete, we are not simply witnessing physical feats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are watching people contend with fatigue, pressure, uncertainty, emotion and risk. The Olympic movement itself defines sport through human development and experience as much as results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mastering these challenges is just as important as mastering the physical skills required to perform. It is this human experience that gives sporting achievements their meaning and creates the connection between athletes, spectators and the wider sporting community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A robot may resemble a person, but it does not experience sport in the way humans do. It does not feel nervous standing on a start line, overcome self doubt after injury, or experience the joy of victory and disappointment of defeat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n