China’s STAR1 Robot Sets Record as the Fastest Bipedal Robot in the World
In a groundbreaking achievement, a Chinese company, Robot Era, has unveiled a humanoid robot that has set a new record by running at an impressive top speed of 8 miles per hour (3.6 meters per second). Dubbed STAR1, the robot has earned the title of the fastest bipedal robot in the world, thanks to its remarkable abilities that were showcased in a demonstration in the Gobi Desert.
Standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 143 pounds, STAR1 was put to the test in the arid desert landscape, where two robots were set loose to navigate challenging terrains such as grass, gravel, and pavement. The twist? One robot was equipped with sneakers, while the other was not, to gauge the impact of footwear on performance. Powered by high-torque motors and advanced AI algorithms, the shoe-clad robot impressively maintained a consistent top speed for 34 minutes.
This achievement has enabled STAR1 to break the previous record set by Unitree’s H1 robot, which had reached a maximum speed of 7.4 miles per hour in March 2024. Notably, the H1 robot did not technically run, as its feet never left the ground entirely during movement.
The STAR1 robot boasts an incredibly powerful AI system, capable of 275 trillion operations per second (TOPS), significantly surpassing the capabilities of most high-end laptops. Furthermore, the robot features 12 degrees of freedom, granting it a wide range of movement through its numerous joints.
The STAR1 robot is part of a new generation of humanoid robots, joining the likes of Tesla’s Optimus Gen-2, the Figure 01, and Boston Dynamics’ latest Atlas robot. These cutting-edge machines are pushing the boundaries of robotics and artificial intelligence, revolutionizing the field and paving the way for future innovations.
The successful demonstration of STAR1’s capabilities is a testament to the rapid progress being made in robotics and AI research, and we can expect to see even more impressive advancements in the years to come.
