Zhejiang University in east China announced on Tuesday that its quadruped robot, named White Rhino, completed a 100-meter sprint in 16.33 seconds, breaking the previous world record of 19.87 seconds set by a robot named Hound from South Korea. 

This feat is now recognized as a new Guinness World Record for the fastest 100-meter time by a quadruped robot. 

The current world record for the 100-meter sprint by a human is 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2009 in Berlin. 

White Rhino was developed jointly by the university's Center for X-Mechanics, the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center.

The record was set at a test site in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.

"This was a very demanding goal," said Professor Wang Hongtao, the project leader. He explained that the 100-meter sprint not only tests the robot's explosive power and speed, but also examines the robot's stability and precise control in conducting rapid movements. "More importantly, it allows us to determine if we are on the right research path."

The core technological breakthrough of White Rhino is a comprehensive optimization methodology known as robot forward design.

Conceptually, this approach involves a priori simulation of the dynamics across each joint and actuator within various operational contexts to identify a globally optimal solution – rather than making iterative, "patchwork" modifications to an existing structural design. The research team developed a precise dynamic model and used multi-objective optimization algorithms to simultaneously adjust the robot's geometric proportions, motor specifications, and reduction systems.

This "design-for-performance" philosophy from the ground up gave White Rhino a strong hardware foundation. For its power system, the Center for X-Mechanics independently created a set of high-power-density joint actuators capable of providing both high torque and quick response – similar to giving White Rhino a "racing-grade" muscular system. The robot's smart motion abilities are supported by a dynamic control strategy based on reinforcement learning.

"Most notably, its maximum load is 100 kilograms, making it a quadruped robot capable of both high-speed running and heavy-load performance," said Dr Cheng Shaowen, a team member.

In the future, White Rhino is expected to be used in many fields – from disaster rescue to transportation in difficult terrain, thereby expanding its capabilities from "running fast" to "running effectively," Cheng added.

(Cover: Blueprint of a quadruped robot. /VCG)