Cheetah robot 'runs faster than Usain Bolt'

A robot called Cheetah has set a new world speed record for legged robots, running faster than the fastest human.

The headless machine, funded by the Pentagon, reached 28.3mph (45.5km/h) when tested on a treadmill.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's top speed is 27.78mph (44.7km/h).

The project is part of efforts to develop robots for military use. One robotics expert told the BBC that it was "unfortunate" the Cheetah was made primarily "to kill people".

It has been created by the Massachusetts robotics company Boston Dynamics and backed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).

According to Darpa, the aim is to "more effectively assist war fighters across a greater range of missions".

The Cheetah, which is powered by a hydraulic pump, broke its own record of 18mph (29km/h), recorded in February.

"The Cheetah had a slight advantage over Bolt as it ran on a treadmill," Darpa said in a statement, "but most of the power Cheetah used was to swing and lift its legs fast enough, not to propel itself forward."

The agency plans to test the robot in the field in 2013.

- BBC.co.uk