In mid-August, Unitree Robotics released a video featuring a new humanoid, referred to as Superman in the description. According to the company, it accelerates to 12.66 m/s and jumps vertically from a standstill to 2 m, despite having legs only 0.85 m long. Unitree says the model was developed in just over three months, and its specs will continue to improve in the coming months.
12.66 m/s is about 45.6 km/h. Usain Bolt’s peak speed in his 2009 100m world record was around 12.4 m/s. The standing vertical jump world record is about 1.8 m. In the footage, the robot lands stably after jumping and maintains balance at full speed on a treadmill.
This isn’t Unitree’s first running claim. In April, its H1—with a combined thigh and shin length of 80 cm and weighing about 62 kg—clocked 10.1 m/s on a stadium speed test, with the company noting possible measurement error. On August 12, Unitree announced it had produced about 18,000 bipedal humanoids. Wheeled and other models are not included in this count.
The main caveat: all figures come from the video and Unitree’s statements. Surface, acceleration distance, control mode, number of attempts, and repeatability are undisclosed. No independent verification has been done. The company hasn’t announced sales of the new model, and it’s not yet a serial product.
Industry analysts call such demos stress tests: they show the limits of actuators, power, and balance systems, but not readiness for real work. Buyers should focus on verified specs of serial G1 and H1 models. Superman currently demonstrates platform potential, not what’s available to order.
