Chinese scientists have developed a robot that can outrun Usain Bolt.
An incredible video shows the prototype, nicknamed ‘Superman’, reaching speeds of 12.66m per second (28.3mph) as it races along a track.
In comparison, sprinting champion Usain Bolt reached a speed of 12.42m per second (27.78mph) when he set the world record at the World Athletics Championship in 2009.
The robot has been designed by Unitree, a Hangzhou–based Chinese robotics company best known for developing high–performance robot dogs and humanoid robots.
A separate part of the video shows the machine jumping an impressive two metres vertically into the air from standing.
This also beats the current human world record, set by US’s Christopher Spell in 2021, of 1.7m (5ft 7in) from a standing jump.
Sharing the video on X, the company wrote: ‘Unitree new robot preview: “Superman” breaking the limits of humanity.
‘This new machine has only been in development for a little over three months, with significant room for further improvement in the coming months.’
An incredible video shows the prototype, nicknamed ‘Superman’, reaching speeds of 12.66 metres per second (28.3mph) as it races along a track
The spectacular demonstrations appear to have been designed to showcase the robot’s raw physical capabilities, rather than a practical task it could currently perform.
However, the video is simply a company demonstration, and the impressive sprint and jump claims have not yet been verified independently.
The robot, which has been developed incredibly quickly, has a reported leg length of just 0.85m (2.8ft).
This makes the speed achieved particularly striking given the relatively short stride of the robot.
While the video is impressive, some people online have also found it amusing.
One person commented: ‘That’s probably the goofiest running I’ve ever seen’, while another added: ‘He runs like a dork.’
Someone else joked: ‘School sports days are never going to be the same ever again.’
However, others appeared to be dazzled by the display, with one person writing: ‘If the hardware keeps improving at this pace, humanoid robots are going to become capable of some seriously impressive things very quickly.’
The machine, which has allegedly been developed incredibly quickly, has a reported leg length of just 0.85 metres (2.8 feet). This makes the speed achieved particularly striking given the relatively short stride of the robot
The team say their robot could outrun Usain Bolt. Pictured: Bolt wins the men’s 100m final race of the 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships
A separate part of the video shows the machine also appearing to jump an impressive two metres vertically into the air from standing
Unitree has not yet published a full set of technical specifications for the Superman, including its height, weight, battery capacity or how many times the speed and jump tests were repeated.
The new machine follows Unitree’s earlier humanoid H1, which also made headlines for its running ability after reaching 10m per second (22.3mph) in an earlier demonstration.
That robot is currently priced at $13,500 (£9,980).
Ma Jihua, a veteran tech industry analyst, told the Global Times that such extreme performance tests essentially serve as ‘stress tests’ for a robot’s underlying hardware and software co–ordination.
It pushes capabilities such as running, jumping, explosive power and balance control to their limits to determine the system’s performance boundaries.
Much like extreme testing in vehicle or aircraft development, understanding where those limits lie is essential before a robot can be reliably matched with real–world applications, Mr Jihua said.
Mastering highly dynamic movements could eventually help humanoids operate in difficult terrain, disaster zones and other dangerous or challenging situations.
Earlier this month, Unitree said it had produced about 18,000 humanoid robots, excluding other humanoid designs and wheeled models.
Last month, footage emerged from China showing two humanoid robots battling it out in a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight.
The fight took place in Shenzhen and saw two robots go head–to–head in a cage as hundreds of spectators looked on.
In one particularly shocking moment, one of the robots had its head kicked off entirely – yet continued to fight.
Taking to Reddit, one viewer said: ‘Finally we have Real Steel,’ in comparison to the 2011 blockbuster.
Another warned: ‘We’re training the next generation lifeform on Earth how to defeat us. Poetic.’
