Chinese firm Unitree unveils ‘Superman’ humanoid robot with record running speed

Chinese robotics company Unitree has unveiled a new humanoid prototype that it says can run faster than the fastest recorded human sprint and jump 2 meters (6.6 feet) from a standing position.

Unitree Robotics said Monday that the machine, dubbed “Superman,” reached a top speed of 12.66 meters per second (28.3 miles per hour), or about 45.6 kilometers per hour, and has legs measuring 0.85 meters (2.8 ft).

The company said the robot was developed in just over three months and that its performance could improve further.

The demonstration comes as Chinese companies race to develop humanoid robots capable of increasingly fast and complex movements.

Unitree said in a separate announcement this month that it had produced about 18,000 bipedal humanoid robots.

Founded in 2016, Hangzhou-based Unitree has emerged as a major global manufacturer of quadrupedal and humanoid autonomous robots.

The unveiling comes ahead of the company’s scheduled initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s tech-focused STAR Market.