Unitree says that its new “Superman” humanoid robot can run faster than any recorded human.
The Chinese robotics company revealed the new model on Monday, hyping up its athletic capabilities in a common marketing shtick.
In a thirty second video, the robot leaps around two meters into the air, which is well over the human standing jump record of 1.7 meters, according to Guinness World Records.
Then, sealing its Olympian credentials, the robot blazes down a track at a top speed of 12.66 meters per second, Unitree claims. Even Usain Bolt isn’t that fast. During his record-setting 100-meter sprint in 2009 of 9.58 seconds, the Jamaican athlete reached a top speed of around 12.2 meters per second.
“This new machine has only been in development for a little over three months,” boasted in a social media post, “with significant room for further improvement in the coming months.”
Be warned: the robot’s peculiar, scuttling gait may give you nightmares.
Unitree New Robot Preview: “Superman” Breaking the Limits of Humanity
Standing high jump 2 m, top speed 12.66 m/s (0.85 m leg length)
Surpassing the standing high jump and running speed records of all humans around the world
This new machine has only been in development for a… pic.twitter.com/12i80ITU6p— Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) August 17, 2026
Unitree’s announcement comes as the company is set to begin trading in the Shanghai Stock Exchange after raising over $900 million dollars in a highly anticipated IPO last week, in what experts believe could be the start of a wave of Chinese tech companies going public.
It also comes as this year’s World Humanoid Robot Games in Shanghai is set to kick off on August 22. Unitree absolutely swept last year’s inaugural Robot Games, taking home four gold medals for the 100 meter, 400 meter, and 1,500 meter races, and the 4x100m relay.
It’s not immediately clear if Unitree’s “Superman” bot represents a new line of humanoids or is only being purpose-built for the competition.
Unitree, like many Chinese robotics companies, has relied on eye-catching stunts to improve its image. The robots are frequently shown doing martial arts, and stunned the world with their acrobatic combat moves in a televised performance alongside human children performers.
There’s no denying that they’re some of the most dexterous robots in the world. Still, investors are wary about whether this will translate into financial success.
“Unitree generates much of its sales from research and demonstrations, but wider application is still far away,” Wang Zhuo, partner of Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management, told Reuters after the IPO.
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