Unitree Robotics unveiled a new humanoid robot called "Superman" on August 17, 2026, claiming the machine surpasses human world records in both standing high jump and running speed2,3,5.
The robot achieved a 2-meter standing high jump and a top speed of 12.66 meters per second (45.6 km/h), with a leg length of 0.85 meters. Unitree stated that these figures exceed the human standing high-jump record of 1.8 meters and the human running speed of 12.4 meters per second.
The performance claims are based on a video released by the company. Unitree stated that the robot was developed from the ground up in just over three months.
Unitree said there remains "significant room for improvement" and that the robot's performance "could improve significantly in the months ahead".
ANALYSIS The three-month development timeline, if accurate, would represent a rapid prototyping cycle for a humanoid platform claiming to exceed peak human athletic benchmarks. The standing jump and sprint figures are company-reported and based on a released video rather than independently verified testing.
The Standard's coverage referenced Unitree's recent Shanghai IPO pricing and noted that Chinese humanoid robot makers are racing to list. ◆ The Superman reveal thus arrives in the context of a newly public company seeking to demonstrate technical differentiation to investors.