While Elon Musk claims that Tesla Optimus will be more advanced than the competition hailing from China, robotic startups there are upping the stakes. From the company that made the world’s fastest quadruped now comes the fastest humanoid robot.
Humanoid robots are advancing rapidly in China, following the government-led focus on electric vehicles and energy storage batteries from a decade ago. This strategy has positioned China as a major player in these industries, and now robotics is poised to follow suit.
Mirror Me, the company behind the fastest quadruped robotic dog used in scientific research, has developed the world’s fastest humanoid robot. Named “Bolt” after the legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, the AI-powered robot can walk at an impressive speed of 10 m/s (about 22 mph).
For context, Usain Bolt holds the record as the fastest sprinter of all time, clocking 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h) during the 2009 Berlin games. With average human running speeds ranging between 13 to 15 mph, Mirror Me’s humanoid robot is approaching world-class sprinting speeds.
In addition to Bolt, Mirror Me’s Black Panther II quadruped robot can reach speeds of up to 30 mph, showcasing the company’s ability to innovate in both bipedal and quadrupedal robotics. This performance helps Mirror Me stand out in China’s competitive robotics market.
Despite being slower than Black Panther II, Bolt’s 22 mph gait is remarkable, especially considering its human-like height and build. Mirror Me developed Bolt’s running agility as part of research focused on improving balance and control in bipedal robots at high speeds. Mimicking human athletes is particularly challenging for bipeds compared to quadrupeds. Interestingly, the creation of the world’s fastest humanoid robot emerged as a byproduct of this research.
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