BEIJING (Web Desk) - Chinese scientists have developed the fastest running humanoid robot that can run at a top speed of just over 8 miles per hour (mph) or 3.6 meters per second (m/s).
This makes it the speediest machine of its kind built so far, albeit these speeds were only achieved with the help of added footwear.
The Chinese company Robot Era built a bipedal robot STAR1 that's 5 feet 7 inches (171 centimeters) tall and weighs 143 pounds (65 kilograms).
In a promotional video, the contest was held between two STAR1 robots with one model, a pair of sneakers, to see if this would make it run quicker in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China.
Footwear-donning STAR1 powered by high-torque motors and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, navigated different types of terrain, including grassland and gravel.
While jogging on paved roads and earth, STAR1 sustained its top speed for 34 minutes. With a top speed of 8 mph it beats Unitree's H1 robot which set the previous speed record for a bipedal robot at 7.4 mph (3.3 m/s) in March 2024.
Although STAR1 had the help of footwear, H1 was not technically jogging or running as its feet did not both leave the ground at once during transit