Humanoid robots can sprint and box – but the real test is doing the laundry

What happened

The robot Tiangong Ultra even completed the 100 metres in 8.64 seconds, quicker than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record. No robot system can yet reliably handle the whole laundry process, from carrying a basket to the washing machine and sorting clothes for different programmes to taking them out, hanging them to dry, folding and ironing them.

Even folding remains a challenge: robots need to cope with clothes of different shapes, sizes, materials and levels of creasing. A humanoid has to coordinate many joints, keep its balance and generate powerful movements without falling over.

The task itself, however, is fairly clear. The robot knows where to go, the track is predictable and the finish line does not suddenly change shape.