Chinese firm Unitree unveils 'Superman' robot that reportedly outruns Usain Bolt

Chinese robotics firm Unitree has introduced its latest humanoid robot, dubbed 'Superman' (Chao Ren), boasting capabilities that reportedly exceed human athletic records.

The Hangzhou-based company released a 30-second video showcasing the robot's performance in vertical jumping and short-distance running. According to Unitree, the robot can jump 2 meters high from a standstill and reach a top speed of 45.6 kilometers per hour (12.66 meters per second). Unitree claims these feats surpass the world records for human standing high jump and running speed.

For comparison, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009, involved a peak speed between 60-80 meters of approximately 12.42 meters per second. Bolt's leg length is reportedly 105 cm, while Superman's is 0.85 meters.

Unitree stated that these performance levels were achieved in just over three months of development and that significant room for optimization remains, predicting substantial improvements in the robot's athletic capabilities in the coming months. This development follows CEO Wang Xingxing's March declaration that Chinese humanoid robots would soon run faster than humans, potentially breaking the 10-second barrier for the 100m dash.

The company is also preparing for its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Sci-Tech Innovation Board, having set its offering price at 150.8 yuan per share, aiming to raise approximately $900 million. Unitree's main products include humanoid and quadrupedal robots, with projected 2025 revenues of 1.699 billion yuan and adjusted net profit of 590.75 million yuan.

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The Chinese humanoid robot can run faster than humans within months and could break the 10-second mark for 100 meters.