Unitree unveils a robot it says can run faster than Usain Bolt ahead of its IPO
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By Tom Carter Unitree, a Chinese robotics firm that is set to go public at a $9 billion valuation on Wednesday, unveiled a new "Superman" humanoid robot on Monday that it says can outrun and outjump top human athletes.
The company said the robot, which has been in development for just three months, can reach a top speed of 12.66 meters per second (m/s) — faster than the roughly 12.4 m/s top speed achieved by Usain Bolt during his world-record 100m run in 2009. Bolt took 9.58 seconds to cover the distance, whereas Unitree's robot would take 7.90 seconds if it maintained its top speed throughout.
Unitree also said that Superman can jump two meters vertically into the air, beating the human world record for a standing high jump. Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot, which Elon Musk has said will cost around $25,000, is expected to enter production by the end of 2026, and several other US humanoid startups have said they expect to begin limited customer deliveries this year.
US robotics fans hoping to pick up a Unitree Superman are likely to be disappointed. The Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on some new foreign-made advanced robots last month, a move that US robotics startup founders warned could hurt their ability to compete with Unitree and other Chinese firms.
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Businessinsider · businessinsider.com
Published August 19, 2026
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