Boston Dynamic’s Cheetah Robot Can Now Outrun Usain Bolt

This is the latest video from Boston Dynamics, the company famous for creating the dynamically stable quadruped Big Dog. Just six months ago, we saw this Cheetah robot run at 18mph, crushing the previous speed record of 13.1mph, which was set at MIT in 1989. This time, it’s running at 28.3mph; quick enough, in fact, to overtake sprinter Usain Bolt.

Although the video shows the Cheetah running on a treadmill with a stabilizing boom, Boston Dynamics has plans to start doing untethered, outdoor testing by early 2013. The bot’s currently powered externally by a hydraulic compressor, which flexes the back to give it a long stride similar to that of a cheetah. The project is funded by DARPA’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program.

You can learn more and watch the previous video on Boston Dynamic’s website here.