Robot dog Black Panther pulverizes speed record in 100-metre run

The Black Panther II robot dog from Chinese robotics start-up Mirror Me has set an unofficial speed record in the 100-meter sprint. During a live broadcast on Chinese state television, China Central Television, the robot dog achieved a standing time of 13.17 seconds for the 100-meter sprint on Sunday. The previous officially recognized Guinness record from 2023 is 19.87 seconds and is held by the robot dog Hound from the South Korean Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST).

The record was set by Black Panther II on an athletic track in the Chinese city of Wuhan in front of spectators. However, it is not official. However, Mirror Me would still like to submit an application to Guinness World Records. For now, however, the company wants to concentrate on its research work. The robot dog reached a maximum speed of 9.7 m/s during the record run at Peak. For comparison, the human running record is held by US-American Usain Bolt. In 2009, he ran the 100-meter distance in 9.58 seconds at an average speed of 10.44 m/s. The four-legged running robot from Mirror Me is still a long way off that.

Improved running robot

The Black Panther II's record was made possible by extremely lightweight construction, compact high-performance motors, and running movements controlled by artificial intelligence (AI). The carbon fiber material used not only gives the robot the necessary low weight of around 38 kg but also gives the legs a high degree of rigidity, which are also equipped with spring elements and absorb shocks. The developers based the design of the legs on those of jumping mice, which can reach high speeds of up to 24 km/h on the run.

The Black Panther II has also been given rubber feet based on those of its biological namesake. The feet have a high level of grip so that power can be better transferred to the ground.

The walking movements are coordinated by an AI. This enables the robot to automatically adapt its gait to different surfaces and coordinate the limbs to create more fluid walking movements.

The fact that Black Panther II is fast was already indicated in January 2025. The developers tested its running capabilities in the laboratory on a treadmill. The robot reached a maximum speed of 10.4 m/s. From a standing start, however, it seemed impossible to run 100 meters in under 10 seconds. However, the robot dog has now achieved this feat.

Boston Dynamic's WildCat robot is said to have run even faster, but without official proof and therefore without a record. According to a research paper published by the India National Institute of Technology in 2020, it is said to have reached a top speed of 8.8 m/s at the time.

(olb)