Usain Bolt is still considered the fastest man in history, but it seems his dominance may be challenged by an unexpected "opponent": humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence.
Chinese robotics giant Unitree Robotics has recently released test footage of its humanoid robot H1, which has achieved a speed of approximately 10 meters per second in a 100-meter sprint. This places it very close to the average pace of the Jamaican legend.
For comparison, during his historic performance at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, Bolt reached a top speed of about 12.42 m/s, while his average speed during the race was 10.44 m/s—a standard that seemed unattainable for machines just a few years ago.
According to Unitree, the H1 robot has reached up to 10.1 m/s during tests, although the company has acknowledged that there may have been "minor inaccuracies in measurements." Nevertheless, this achievement is considered a major step forward in the development of bipedal locomotion in robots.
"10 m/s!! Unitree breaks the world record again. With the physique of an ordinary person, running at the speed of a world champion," read the description of the company's viral video.
The progress is remarkable when we recall that just a few years ago, the fastest humanoid robot could barely reach about 8 miles per hour (roughly 13 km/h). Meanwhile, the H1 has achieved up to 22 mph (approximately 35 km/h), demonstrating the dizzying pace of technological development.
Unitree is not alone in this race. Chinese company MirrorMe has unveiled its humanoid robot named "Bolt," which also reaches speeds of up to 10 m/s, making it a direct rival to the H1.