China’s robot dog sets Guinness world record for 100m sprint

The test, held in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province on May 27, surpassed the previous record of 19.87 seconds set by a South Korean robot named Hound.

For context, the human 100-meter world record remains 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009 in Berlin, according to Interesting Engineering.

White Rhino, a quadruped robot developed by China's Zhejiang University. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

White Rhino was created by Zhejiang University’s Center for X-Mechanics in collaboration with the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center.

The team applied a "robot forward design" approach, building the machine from the ground up rather than modifying an existing frame.

Wonderful Engineering reported that comprehensive dynamics simulations were used to optimize every joint, actuator, and motor specification simultaneously.

The robot’s high-power-density joint actuators, described by developers as a "racing-grade muscular system," enabled explosive torque and rapid response. Its motion control relied on reinforcement learning to coordinate bursts of speed, swift leg swings, and real-time balance adjustments.

"This was a very demanding goal," project leader Professor Wang Hongtao said. "More importantly, it allows us to determine if we are on the right research path."

Beyond its speed, White Rhino can carry loads of up to 100 kilograms, IoT World Today reported. Zhejiang University said this combination of fast running and heavy-load performance sets it apart from other research robots.

The university added that the machine could one day be deployed for disaster rescue or transport across extreme terrain, moving from "running fast" to "running usefully."