Dinosaur-Inspired ‘Velocirobot’ Is Faster Than Usain Bolt [VIDEO]

Jurassic Park’s scariest dinosaur just got a modern upgrade.

Engineers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, South Korea, have built a robot that moves like a velociraptor and can beat Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt in a foot race.

According to Discovery, the “Velocirobot” clocked in at an impressive 46 kilometers per hour, or 28.6 miles per hour, on a treadmill. That’s about 2 kilometers per hour faster than Bolt, the world’s fastest human.

Scientists have long been interested in creating robots that move quickly and use legs to navigate rough terrain (something wheeled robots have a difficult time with). Bio-inspired robot designs include Boston Dynamics Cheetah, a hulky, four-legged robot that reached 47 kilometers per hour two years ago.

The raptor robot has a tail that swings from side to side as the robot runs and keeps it stable. It weighs just under 3 kilograms, or 7 pounds, and has two legs made of carbon fiber.

Velociraptors belonged to a group of theropod dinosaurs that lived around 75 to 71 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous Period. Recent research suggests they were feathered dinosaurs whose plumage may have been used to attract mates or regulate body temperature.

Watch the Velocirobot in action, courtesy of YouTube: