Unitree's humanoid robot reaches 10 m/s in test run

(ECNS) -- Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics said its H1 humanoid robot has reached a top running speed of 10 meters per second (36 km/h) during a test, a pace comparable to the top speed of Usain Bolt, the world's fastest sprinter.

In a video released late on Saturday, Unitree showed the H1 hitting the speed during a test run.

For comparison, Usain Bolt, the world's fastest sprinter, set the 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, corresponding to an average speed of about 10.44 m/s.

According to Unitree, the H1 robot stands 1.8 meters tall. However, for the running test, the robot was modified for racing, including the removal of its head.

The company said the result reflects progress in humanoid robot locomotion, which it described as key to practical real-world applications.

Unitree founder Wang Xingxing said earlier this year that humanoid robots could surpass human sprint speeds in the near term, potentially completing a 100-meter run in under 10 seconds.

Another milestone for humanoid robots could fall this month. The second Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon is scheduled for April 19, where robots are expected to run alongside human participants for the first time.

The current world record for a human half-marathon is 57 minutes and 20 seconds, held by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo.

(By Zhang Dongfang)