Unitree Robot Claims Faster Speed Than Bolt, Higher Jump Than Humans

Chinese robotics firm Unitree has unveiled a humanoid robot it claims can run faster than Usain Bolt's world record and jump higher than any human. The prototype, nicknamed Superman, was shown in a company video achieving a top speed of 12.66 meters per second (28.3 mph) and performing a standing vertical jump of two meters (6.5 feet). Usain Bolt reached a peak speed of 12.42 meters per second during his 2009 world record 100-meter sprint. The current human record for a standing vertical jump is reported as 1.8 meters.

The reveal occurred on August 17, 2026, two days before Unitree is set to begin trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange following an oversubscribed initial public offering. The company stated the robot was developed in just over three months and that its hardware has significant room for improvement. Unitree emphasized that the demonstrations were designed to showcase raw physical capabilities.

Industry analysts describe such extreme performance tests as critical stress evaluations for robotic systems. "It pushes capabilities such as running, jumping, explosive power and balance control to their limits to determine the system's performance boundaries," said tech...