HANGZHOU: Researchers from Zhejiang University, in partnership with Hangzhou-based startups Mirror Me and Kaierda, have unveiled a full-scale humanoid robot named ‘Bolt’ that can run at a speed of 10 meters per second faster than most humans.
The robot’s name pays homage to the legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, reflecting its impressive speed capabilities.Developers describe this milestone as a significant advance in robotic mobility, emphasizing improvements in movement control, dynamic stability, and high-performance propulsion systems.
In a demonstration, Wang Hongtao, director of the research institute and founder of Mirror Me, challenged Bolt to a treadmill race. A widely circulated video shows that, despite taking shorter steps, Bolt managed to outpace Wang, showcasing its remarkable agility. This achievement builds on the team’s previous success, including the 2025 record-setting quadruped robot ‘Black Panther,’ which also exceeded speeds of 10 meters per second.
Additionally, in August last year, Beijing hosted the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, where the ‘Tien Kung’ robot won the 100-meter race in 21.5 seconds, highlighting the rapid progress in humanoid robot racing and mobility.
