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Bolt, named after Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, was developed by a humanoid innovation institute at Zhejiang University in eastern China, in collaboration with Hangzhou-based robotics startups Mirror Me and Kaierda, according to Xinhua.
In a video demonstration released Monday, the robot competed in a treadmill race against Wang Hongtao, head of the institute and founder of Mirror Me.
While the human runner eventually faltered, the robot maintained a steady stride, with the speedometer topping out at 10 m/s, the fastest recorded speed for a humanoid of its class, CGTN reported.
At that peak velocity, the robot could theoretically complete a 100-meter dash in exactly 10 seconds, placing it close to the human world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain.
Chinese humanoid robot Bolt in a race against its human developer. Video courtesy of Mirror Me
Standing 175 centimeters tall and weighing 75 kilograms, the humanoid reflects Mirror Me Technology’s vision of an "ideal" form, combining human-like proportions with performance-focused engineering.
The robot is built around newly designed joints and a fully optimized power system intended to replicate natural human movement while sustaining extreme speeds, according to CNEVPost.
Wang said the primary goal of the research was not simply to break records but to establish a technological foundation that approaches or exceeds the biological limits of human motion. The team previously set a speed record for quadruped robots in 2025 with its Black Panther, which reached over 10 m/s.
