Unitree’s new humanoid robot jumps 2 meters, hits 12.66 m/s to break human records
Unitree Robotics unveiled a new humanoid robot capable of a 2-meter standing vertical jump and a top speed of 12.66 meters per second, surpassing human records in both the standing high jump and running despite having legs just 0.85 meters long, the company...
Key takeaways
- The most recent developments in humanoid robotics show rapid advances in both performance and commercial interest.
- In mid‑August, Chinese firm Unitree Robotics unveiled a new humanoid that can leap two metres vertically and run at 12.66 m s⁻¹, breaking human records for standing high‑jump and sprint speed, and the company reported having produced roughly 18,000 bipedal units to date.
- The same week Unitree’s Shanghai STAR‑market debut sent its shares soaring—up more than 600 % at one point and closing 460 % above the IPO price—while its founder warned that a “ChatGPT moment” for embodied AI may still be a decade away, noting current challenges in task generalisation and precise movement.
- At the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing, several companies demonstrated humanoids engaging in full‑contact sparring, kickboxing, ping‑pong and autonomous dance routines, underscoring a shift from scripted showcases to dynamic, real‑time interaction.
- The concurrent World Humanoid Robot Games highlighted fully autonomous competitions in sports, art and practical applications, with a forecast of 50,000 Chinese humanoid shipments this year, up from 12,000 in 2025.
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Unitree Robotics unveiled a new humanoid robot capable of a 2-meter standing vertical jump and a top speed of 12.66 meters per second, surpassing human records in both the standing high jump and running despite having legs just 0.85 meters long, the company told the Global Times in a statement. Unitree said that the entirely new robot was developed in just over three months and still has significant room for improvement over the coming months.
According to a video provided by Unitree to the Global Times on Monday, the robot landed steadily after leaping to a height of 2 meters.
This marks the latest push by a Chinese robotics firm this year to challenge the limits of human athletic performance. In April, Unitree's H1 humanoid robot set a world record with a running speed of 10 meters per second, approaching the peak speed of sprint legend Usain Bolt. Now, the company's new "superhuman" robot has pushed the boundary even further, surpassing human limits in both speed and jumping performance.
Unitree Robotics said on August 12 that it had produced about 18,000 humanoid robots to date, counting only bionic bipedal humanoids and excluding other humanoid robots and wheeled-base models. BUSINESS / ECONOMY
By Global Times Published: Aug 17, 2026 03:01 PM
Photo: Courtesy of Unitree Robotics
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