Robot Crashes Into Electrical Box in Viral Video Ahead of World Humanoid Robot Games

Before Chinese robot firm Unitree can make good on its claim that a machine can outrun Usain Bolt, it needs to work on getting the bot to stop after crossing a finish line.

Ahead of the second annual World Humanoid Robot Games, one of the machines was apparently so into its run that it made like Forrest Gump on a kickoff return by running directly into an electrical box before collapsing.

Another video showed one of the robots running before crashing into a wall, leading to sparks flying from its chest.

According to Ben Cost of the New York Post, Unitree unveiled the robot it has dubbed "Superman" earlier this week. The company claims the bot has only been in development for three months, but its programming allows it to reach two meters (6.56 feet) from a standing high jump position and 12.66 meters per second while running.

The company claims those metrics surpass the standing high jump and running speed records "of all humans around the world."

Cost did note the speed of 12.66 meters per season would surpass Bolt's fastest-recorded speed of 12.2 m/s in 2009 when he set the world record in the 100 meters (9.58 seconds).

The bot's mishap came ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games that will begin on Saturday in Beijing. There are 666 teams featuring 2,056 robots who will compete in various sporting events, including table tennis, kickboxing and a 4×100m relay.