Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Unitree's Superman Robot Outruns Usain Bolt, Crashes Into Box
A company called Unitree Robotics made a very fast robot named Superman.
Superman can jump 2 metres high from standing still on two small legs.
It can also run really fast, almost as fast as the fastest human runner ever, Usain Bolt.
The robot jumped high and landed on its feet, which is very impressive for a machine.
But a video shows Superman crashing into an electrical box because it could not stop in time.
Some people thought this was funny, some were worried about safety, and others were excited about the technology.
The company says Superman is still a prototype, which means it is a test version.
Unitree also raised lots of money from investors, so it can keep building robots.
The company wants to show the world how advanced its robots are becoming.
Unitree Robotics unveiled 'Superman,' a prototype humanoid robot that can jump 2 metres from a standing position and reach a top running speed of 12.66 m/s.
Unitree says the speed beats Usain Bolt's recorded peak sprint pace of about 12.4 m/s, though a robot's brief peak speed differs from a human race performance.
A video shows Superman crashing into an electrical box at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, with social media reactions split between amusement, safety concerns and praise.
Built in just over three months with roughly 0.85-metre legs, the robot tops the 10 m/s record set by Unitree's H1 humanoid earlier this year.
The reveal comes as Hangzhou-based Unitree prepares to list on Shanghai's STAR Market after raising 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million) in an IPO more than 8,000 times oversubscribed.
- Who
- Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based Chinese robotics firm backed by Tencent, Alibaba and DeepSeek; its founder called Superman a prototype.
- What
- Unveiled 'Superman,' a humanoid robot that can jump 2 metres and run at 12.66 m/s — faster than Usain Bolt's recorded speed — but crashed into an electrical box in footage.
- When
- Recently announced; no exact date is given in the articles, with development taking just over three months.
- Where
- Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval (crash footage); Unitree is based in Hangzhou and is set to debut on Shanghai's STAR Market.
- Why
- To showcase Unitree's robotics capabilities just as the company prepares to begin trading on Shanghai's STAR Market after an oversubscribed IPO.
Technology Enthusiasts
Skeptics and Safety Critics
Speed versus Usain Bolt comparison
Technology Enthusiasts
The robot's 12.66 m/s top speed genuinely exceeds Usain Bolt's recorded peak of about 12.4 m/s, marking a significant robotics milestone.
Skeptics and Safety Critics
A robot's brief peak speed cannot be fairly compared to a human athlete's sustained performance over a 100-metre race, so the record claim should be treated carefully.
Crash and control systems
Technology Enthusiasts
The crash does not diminish the underlying technology, and the records the robot broke should be praised.
Skeptics and Safety Critics
The robot appeared unable to brake after reaching high speed and hit an electrical box, raising real questions about its control systems and safety.
- Company
- Unitree Robotics (Hangzhou, China)
- Robot name
- Superman (prototype)
- Top speed
- 12.66 m/s (about 45.6 km/h)
- Standing vertical jump
- 2 metres
- Development time
- Just over three months
- Crash incident
- Hit an electrical box at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval
- IPO funds raised
- 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million)
- Key investors
- Tencent, Alibaba and DeepSeek
