BEIJING — It was not even close as a bright red Chinese humanoid named “Lightning” lived up to its name in a half-marathon pitting humans against robots, smoking its competition on Sunday

China’s humanoid robot half marathon showed real gains in speed and autonomy, even if the race still revealed clear technical limits.

Mercedes-Benz has partnered with robotics firm Apptronik to explore using humanoid robots in its manufacturing plants. A Mercedes-Benz executive believes the current technology is too slow and lacks the flexibility required for vehicle production.

A humanoid robot known as Edward Warchocki was caught on video chasing a group of wild boars off a Warsaw street, creating a surreal moment that has quickly spread online.