China's STAR1 humanoid robot sets running speed record at 13km/h
China's latest humanoid robot, STAR1, has broken a new speed record by running at over 12.87km/h (3.6 meters per second). The achievement makes it the fastest bipedal robot to date. The record-breaking feat was achieved with the help of a pair of specially designed sneakers. The Robot Era, a Chinese company specializing in advanced robotics, is behind the creation of this innovative machine.
Design and performance in challenging terrains
STAR1 is 5'7" (171cm) tall and weighs 65kg. In a demonstration video, two STAR1 robots were tested in the Gobi Desert, northwestern China. One was fitted with sneakers while the other wasn't, to see if footwear would affect performance. The sneaker-equipped robot, powered by high-torque motors and AI algorithms, successfully navigated challenging terrains like grass, gravel, and pavement at a consistent top speed for 34 minutes.
STAR1 surpasses previous robot speed record
The top speed of 12.88km/h enabled STAR1 to break the previous record set by Unitree's H1 robot, which achieved a maximum of 11.91km/h (3.3 m/s) in March 2024. Notably, the H1 robot didn't technically run as its feet never left the ground entirely while moving. This technicality further highlights STAR1's unique achievement in the field of advanced robotics.
AI hardware and movement capabilities
Robot Era emphasizes STAR1 features AI hardware that can perform 275 trillion operations per second (TOPS), which is way higher than most high-end laptops. The bot also features 12 degrees of freedom, allowing it to move freely through its many joints. This puts STAR1 alongside other recently developed humanoid robots such as Tesla's Optimus Gen-2, the Figure 01, and Boston Dynamics's latest Atlas robot.
