The Cheetah robot was born in 2012. The speedy four-legged bot could run at 29 miles per hour —outpacing Usain Bolt — while tethered to a power supply.

Now, the cat's off the leash.

Boston Dynamics introduced WildCat, a wireless version of Cheetah, on the group's YouTube channel. The robot clocks in at a top speed of 16 mph, slower than its wired predecessor, but still faster than many humans. WildCat can run a less-than-four-minute mile.

Without a cord, the new generation of robot can run outside of the lab.

Boston Dynamics' video of WildCat in action shows it running in a parking lot. WildCat uses "bounding and galloping gaits" and can run on all types of flat terrain, the group noted in the description on YouTube, and can both move in a straight line and cut turns. Its motor noticeably hums.

WildCat is funded by DARPA's maximum mobility and manipulation program, whose mission is to enhance robot mobility in natural environments.

Do you think the new robot is cool or creepy? Sound off in the comments, below.

Homepage image: YouTube, Boston Dynamics