Inspired by nature, engineered by man, Cheetah hits 28.3 mph
DARPA’s Cheetah robot—already the fastest legged robot in
history—just broke its own land speed record of 18 miles per hour (mph). In the
process, Cheetah also surpassed another very fast mover: Usain Bolt. According
to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Bolt set the world
speed record for a human in 2009 when he reached a peak speed of 27.78 mph for
a 20-meter split during the 100-meter sprint. Cheetah was recently clocked at
28.3 mph for a 20-meter split. The Cheetah had a slight advantage over Bolt as
it ran on a treadmill, the equivalent of a 28.3 mph tail wind, but most of the
power Cheetah used was to swing and lift its legs fast enough, not to propel
itself forward.