A Chinese team has unveiled a full-size humanoid robot capable of running at 10 meters per second, thus outsprinting most humans.
The robot called "Bolt", named after Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, was developed by the Humanoid Robot Innovation Research Institute at the Zhejiang University's Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center in east China, in collaboration with Hangzhou-based robotics startups Mirror Me and Kaierda, both also located in Zhejiang.
Standing 175 centimeters tall and weighing 75 kilograms, "Bolt" was designed to mimic human proportions while pushing the physical boundaries of bipedal movement.
This achievement marks a significant breakthrough in robot locomotion control, dynamic balance and high-performance drive systems, according to the developers.
Wang Hongtao, head of the institute and founder of Mirror Me, and the red-painted metallic android competed against each other on treadmills. A released video clip shows that while the robot took shorter strides, it was able to move at a faster cadence than Wang.
Wang noted that the primary goal of the research was not simply to break records but to develop 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 a speed of more than 10 meters per second.
Chinese team creates swift sprinting humanoid robot "Bolt"
Polish citizens are feeling the squeeze of surging energy costs, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to roil the international energy market,
In Poland, rising fuel prices are gradually making their way into everyday life and the real economy. Many residents said higher energy costs are taking a heavy toll.
"I do think about this issue more and try to reduce my fuel consumption. Overall, everything happening right now is unsettling," said Pawel, a Warsaw resident.
"I really feel it. Prices have gone up a lot. We're trying to cope and can manage for now. Taxi fares haven't increased yet, but it's definitely getting harder," said Wiktor, another resident.
"Of course it has affected us. Because fuel prices have gone up, everything else is more expensive and costs more now," said Anita, another local resident.
Meanwhile, those working in the transport and service sectors said rising oil prices are directly impacting their businesses.
"The courier industry, like most taxi drivers, is soon going to face closure and be forced out of business. I used to drive international long-distance buses, and honestly, some people in that sector are also thinking about quitting," said Michal, another Warsaw resident.
Lukasz Goczek, a professor from the Department of Macroeconomics and Theory of Foreign Trade at the University of Warsaw, said the continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, could leave global energy prices elevated for a long time, heavily impacting the world economy.
"Iran has this huge leverage. It's got the whole world in a chokehold because 20 percent of oil that's transported in the world goes through the Strait. It obviously means that the price of energy is going to increase. We see it at the petrol stations," said Goczek.
Goczek also noted that U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have dealt a serious blow to the international order.
"I think that's pretty much, by now, the international law. If it's not that, it's definitely very, very illegal. There wasn't any reason for war. It just straightforwardly began without any warning. So it was much of a surprise. We need the international order to have peace, to prosper, to have trade," said Goczek.
Rising energy costs squeeze Polish households, businesses
