(MENAFN) A groundbreaking achievement in robotics was unveiled Sunday as a Chinese robotic dog hit 10.3 meters per second during a televised event, matching the velocity of elite human sprinters. This breakthrough marks a significant leap in robotic mobility.

During the live demonstration, the quadruped named Black Panther — weighing 38 kilograms and standing 0.63 meters tall — shattered the previous machine dog sprint record held by Boston Dynamics' WildCat.

Footage aired by a state broadcaster captured the robotic dog accelerating on a treadmill, surpassing 10 meters per second within 10 seconds. For context, Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds equates to a speed of 10.44 meters per second.

Introduced earlier this year in January, the Black Panther boasts a maximum stride rate of five steps per second, placing it among the fastest four-legged robots globally.

The project is a joint effort between Zhejiang University’s humanoid innovation institute and the Hangzhou-based startup Mirror Me.

Recent upgrades enhanced the Black Panther’s performance by combining three separate carbon fiber lower legs into a single unit, significantly increasing its strength and agility.

While the Black Panther now outruns most human sprinters, it remains slower than some of nature’s fastest land animals, including cheetahs, ostriches, and wildebeests.

Looking ahead, this rapid robotic dog could play vital roles in disaster response and logistics, enabling it to navigate through earthquake rubble and other hazardous environments with speed and precision.

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