Guess what? A quadruped robot just sprinted 100 meters faster than any of its kind! Zhejiang University in the Chinese mainland announced on Tuesday that its White Rhino robot zoomed through a 100m test in a jaw-dropping 16.33 seconds, beating the previous record of 19.87 seconds set by South Korea’s Hound. 🐾🚀
To put this in perspective, human legend Usain Bolt still holds the fastest human time at 9.58 seconds, but White Rhino’s achievement shows how far robotics has come. Developed by the university’s Center for X-Mechanics, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, this sprint took place at their Hangzhou test site.
“This was a very demanding goal,” said Professor Wang Hongtao, the project leader. He explained that the 100-meter sprint not only tests explosive power and speed, but also demands stability and precise control for rapid movements. “More importantly, it allows us to determine if we are on the right research path.”
At the heart of White Rhino’s speed is a breakthrough called robot forward design. Instead of tweaking existing designs, the team ran simulations across every joint and actuator to find the best overall setup. Using multi-objective optimization, they fine-tuned the robot’s shape, motor specs, and gear systems for peak performance.
They even built high-power-density joint actuators—think racing-grade muscles—that deliver strong torque and quick response. A smart motion control strategy powered by reinforcement learning helps White Rhino stay balanced while charging ahead.
“Most notably, its maximum load is 100 kilograms, making it a quadruped robot capable of both high-speed runs and heavy-load tasks,” added Dr Cheng Shaowen.
Beyond setting records, White Rhino could soon race into disaster rescue missions or transport supplies across tough terrain—evolving from “running fast” to “running effectively.” 🌟
Reference(s):
Chinese quadruped robot sets 100m sprint Guinness World Record
cgtn.com
