100 m run: Robot dog claims to have broken the 10-second barrier

The Chinese four-legged robot Black Panther 2.0, a joint project of the Zhejiang University Humanoid Innovation Institute and the robot start-up Mirror Me, has reached a top speed of 10.4 m/s on the treadmill. This means that the robot dog has the potential to run a distance of 100 m in under 10 seconds. However, there is no official proof of this.

Officially, the robot dog Hound from the South Korean Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology holds the Guinness record in the 100-meter run with 19.87 seconds. It is possible that the Black Panther 2.0 has now pulverized this record from 2023, but it is more likely to be theoretical.

A video on X shows how the robot dog accelerates to a maximum of 10.4 m/s on a treadmill. However, it takes a few seconds to reach this speed. From a standing start, it cannot cover the 100 m in less than 10 seconds. It is therefore more likely that the robot dog will only be able to cover a distance of 100 m in under 10 seconds if it takes off on the fly. However, a corresponding world record must be achieved from a standing start. However, it is also possible to break Hound's record with a time under 19.87 seconds.

Lightweight construction, special design and artificial intelligence

However, the Black Panther 2.0 has proven that it is fast. This is made possible by an extremely lightweight construction, compact high-performance motors, movements controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) and a special design of the legs and feet. The Black Panther weighs just 38 kg and is 63 cm high. By comparison, the current record holder weighs significantly more at 45 kg.

The weight of the Black Panther has been reduced by using lightweight materials such as carbon fiber. The material is mainly used in the legs of the robot. The low weight and high rigidity of the legs allow them to be accelerated more quickly by the specially developed electric motors with high-power density.

When developing the legs, the researchers also took inspiration from those of jumping mice, which can reach speeds of up to 24 km/h when fleeing. The robot's legs are equipped with spring elements that absorb shocks and help it to maintain its speed.

When developing the feet, on the other hand, the scientists took inspiration from panthers. The feet are designed to increase grip by 200 percent compared to conventional rubber feet. This enables the robot to apply force to the ground more effectively.

The movements are coordinated by an AI. Through machine learning, the robot has learned to adapt its gait to different surfaces and synchronize its limbs for smooth movements.

Although the Black Panther 2.0 has not officially proven to be the fastest robot dog in the world, it is likely to run the 100 m distance faster than most humans. However, it does not come close to the human running records from a standing start. This is currently held by US American Usain Bolt with 9.58 s and an average speed of 10.44 m/s. He set the world record in 2009.

However, the Chinese research team hopes to break this mark at some point and beat the human running speed.

(olb)