A bipedal Chinese humanoid robot allegedly training for World Humanoid Robot Games has gone viral after it lost control during a running test. In a viral video shared by X (formerly Twitter) user @pianhangx, the robot can be seen running toward the barrier before crashing into it, with its body bending sharply at the waist and sparks coming from the machine. The dramatic crash has led to social media users describing the incident as the moment the “robot dies.” The incident took place as robots prepare for the 2026 edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China. The event kickstarts on August 22 and will showcase a record 2,056 robots and 666 teams this year.
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Chinese robot hits safety wall during running test
According to reports, the humanoid robot was taking part in a training session for the running competition when it appeared to lose control. In the video, it can be seen running at high speed and failing to stop before hitting the safety wall. The impact caused the robot's body to bend at the waist, while sparks could be seen coming from it.
The video was shared on social media on August 20 and quickly attracted attention. At the time of writing, it has garnered over 13 million views. “The robot ran too fast to brake in time, crashed into the cushion, and broke its waist,” the Twitter user wrote.
Times of India was not able to independently verify the viral video.
World Humanoid Robot Games set for 2026
The World Humanoid Robot Games first took place in Beijing in 2025. The event brings humanoid robots together for competitions based on sports and other activities. As mentioned above, the 2026 event is expected to be significantly larger, with 666 teams and more than 2,056 robots taking part across 50 events.
The competition will include running and other sports, while robots will also take part in activities such as dance performances and serve as flag bearers.
Unitree unveils robot that is claimed to run faster than Usain Bolt
In another news, Chinese robotics firm Unitree has unveiled a new "Superman" humanoid robot that is claimed to outrun and outjump top human athletes. The company said the robot can reach a top speed of 12.66 meters per second (m/s) — faster than the roughly 12.4 m/s top speed achieved by Usain Bolt during his world-record 100m run in 2009.
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