The Chinese are at it again. In a new clip, Chinese robotics startup Unitree Robotics showcased its H1 humanoid robot reaching a sprint speed of up to 10 metres per second, marking a world record for a humanoid robot. And this also brings the robot quite close to the average speed of Usain Bolt’s 100-metre world record, which was 10.44 metres per second.
The video shared by the official Unitree account on X shows the robot sprinting on an athletics track. The company wrote, “With the physique of an ordinary person, running at a world champion’s speed!”
A humanoid robot close to human’s record
As per the company, the H1 robot used for the run had a combined thigh and calf length of 80 centimetres and weighed approximately 62 kilograms, comparable to an average human.
In the clip, you can see the Unitree H1 running on the track, while maintaining proper balance and movement. In the end of the video, a speed measuring device recorded 10.1 metres per second, although Unitree stated that there was a possibility of measurement error.
To give you some context, Olympic medalist Usain Bolt’s record-breaking run at the 2009 Berlin World Championships had an average speed of 10.44 metres per second. Bolt completed the 100m run in 9.58 seconds.
This run was part of a test session ahead of the second Humanoid Robot Half Marathon scheduled for April 19, 2026, in Beijing’s Economic-Technological Development Area. As per the Global Times, more than 70 teams have conducted test runs already.
Unitree’s H1 robot builds on previous achievements, including the H1 V3.0 Evolution model setting a Guinness World Record in March 2024 as the fastest full-sized humanoid robot, reaching a walking speed of 3.3 metres per second.
The robot’s design incorporates advanced powertrain technology, high-torque joint motors, and perception systems such as depth cameras and 3D LiDAR sensors, enabling fluid and stable movement.
According to the Securities Times. Unitree’s CEO Wang Xingxing said at the 2026 Yabuli Entrepreneurs Forum that humanoid robots could break Bolt’s record in the 100-metre dash by mid-2026.
Not just running, Basketball too
It seems that robots are getting better at almost everything out there. Japanese giant Toyota recently revealed the CUE7, its latest humanoid robot that can play basketball. The CUE7 is an improvement on the CUE6, which achieved a Guinness World Record in 2024 for the longest basketball shot.
The CUE7 goes a step further. The robot uses vision and motion planning to detect targets. It can estimate distances and then shoot the shot precisely. While the CUE6 weighed 120 kg, the CUE7 has a weight of 74 kg.
In a clip shared by Toyota, the CUE7 took a precise shot at a basketball court in Tokyo. The robot bounces the ball a couple of times as it stands in the court, and then takes aim. The ball goes right into the net.
Do note that the Toyota robot doesn’t have human-like hands, but instead comes with circular palms, likely giving it better grip while holding the ball. It also has wheels to move.
Chinese robots make progress
Chinese robotmakers have seen steady advancements when it comes to humanoid robots. During a Spring Festival Gala earlier this year, Unitree’s G1 humanoid robots performed the “world’s first fully autonomous kung fu showcase by machines.”
MirrorMe, another Chinese firm, introduced a full-size humanoid robot named Bolt in February this year. The robot has a height of 175 centimetres and weighs 75 kilograms. According to the company, it can reach a peak running speed of 10 metres per second.
At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, the Tien Kung Ultra robot won the 100-metre race in 21.50 seconds, beating Unitree’s H1 robots fielded by other teams. The same robot completed the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon in around 2 hours and 40 minutes in April 2025.
The development of sprint-capable humanoid robots marks significant progress in robotics, combining human-like physique with increasing speed and control, potentially paving the way for greater task delegation to robots in the future.
In the US, Elon Musk’s Tesla is also said to be making decent progress with the Optimus, which was able to do Kung Fu on its own.
