BEIJING: A Chinese robotic dog reached a speed of 10.3 meters per second in a TV show on Sunday, on par with top human sprinters, marking a new milestone in robotics.
The four-legged robot, dubbed Black Panther 2.0, broke the machine dog world dash record set by Boston Dynamics’ WildCat. Weighing 38 kilograms and standing at 0.63 meters tall, it had reached an impressive speed on the treadmill within 10 seconds of exceeding 10 meters per second. Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record is 9.58 seconds, which translates to a speed of 10.44 meters per second.
The record was set during the robotic dog mission show in the latest World Robot Competition held by China Media Group on Sunday. Among the show’s other highlights, star robot dog XT70 showcased real-world rescue and emergency response capabilities.
Unveiled in January, this robotic dog boasts a peak stride frequency of five times per second, ranking it among the world’s fastest quadruped robots.
The team behind this project is a collaboration between a humanoid innovation institute at Zhejiang University and the Hangzhou-based startup Mirror Me.
In the past few months, the Black Panther has undergone an upgrade by integrating its three separate carbon fiber lower legs, thus boosting its overall strength. The Black Panther now outpaces most humans in sprinting, yet still lags behind fast runners on land like cheetahs, ostriches and wildebeests.
Its future applications could expand into disaster relief and logistics, such as swiftly navigating earthquake debris. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
