Chinese humanoid robots have demonstrated major improvements in speed after machines participating in a robotics competition recorded times faster than a human benchmark used in the event.

Two robots reportedly completed the 100-metre distance faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world-record pace under the competition’s comparative format, although the machines were operating in controlled conditions and the comparison is not equivalent to an official human athletics race.

Engineers say the more important challenge is whether humanoid robots can perform useful real-world tasks reliably, including navigating unpredictable environments, manipulating objects and operating safely around humans.

The competition highlights rapid advances in robotics while also showing the gap between spectacular demonstrations and commercially useful autonomous machines.