Meet "Bolt": China unveils world's fastest-running humanoid robot

China has unveiled a humanoid robot that can sprint at speeds of up to 10 metres per second, making it the fastest-running humanoid robot in the world.

In a head-to-head showdown of speed -- between "man and machine", tech entrepreneur Wang Hongtao took on humanoid robot "Bolt."

The two contenders stepped on a custom-made treadmill, with speeds dialled up from zero in steady increments.

But once the pace hit five metres per second, the limits of flesh and bone became clear -- Wang started to wobble.

Bolt, meanwhile, surged ahead, picking up speed to push on to a blistering 10 metres per second, sealing its claim as the fastest-running humanoid robot on the planet.

Bolt is a joint creation of Zhejiang University and a tech firm -- and takes its name from Usain Bolt -- the world record holder in the 100-metre race.

At 1.75 metres tall and 75 kilograms, the robot might look human sized but engineers say its internals are anything but ordinary -- having undergone system upgrades in explosive power and movement control.

These advances lay the technical groundwork for Bolt to match or even surpass human athletic performances.

And Bolt is not just for displays of raw speed, its development team hopes Bolt can serve as an "intelligent partner" for Chinese athletes helping them overcome bottlenecks encountered in training.