---
title: "This Robot Bludgeons You With Boxing Gloves While You Play Games"
description: "An engineer built a robot that tries to punch him in real life while he fights a digital robot in a virtual reality video game."
date: "2019-05-16"
modified: "2019-05-17"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/robot-video-games-virtual-reality"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "robot"
  - "the digest"
  - "video games"
  - "virtual reality"
---

# This Robot Bludgeons You With Boxing Gloves While You Play Games

![An engineer built a robot that tries to punch him in real life while he fights a digital robot in a virtual reality video game.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/robot-video-games-virtual-reality.png>)
*\<em\>Image: James Bruton/YouTube\</em\>*

## Holodeck

When you're plugged into a good virtual reality experience, you might talk about how it "feels real."

That's apparently not good enough for engineer James Bruton, who built a robot to punch him while he brawls with a virtual automaton in a VR game. The setup isn't commercially available — the game and robot were custom made, [*The Verge* reports](<https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/16/18628059/arduino-mega-htc-vive-vr-james-bruton>), but it represents an impressive attempt to bring virtual reality to life.

https://youtu.be/OYfzaAWIBpc

## Pinch Me

Bruton's life-sized Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robot, which was built in collaboration with students from the University of Portsmouth, wheels around the room while jabbing at Bruton in time with the virtual robot in his VR headset.

Meanwhile, motion trackers in the room monitor of how Bruton moves his arms, equipped with sword and shield, to deflect the robotic punches and fight back.

Without being able to test the system, it's unclear whether getting punched by a real robot would ramp up the [feeling of immersion](<https://futurism.com/guy-week-vr-headset.md>) or ruin the experience, but what is clear is that I really want to give it a try.

**READ MORE:** [This robot hits you in real life when you get hit in VR](<https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/16/18628059/arduino-mega-htc-vive-vr-james-bruton>) \[*The Verge*\]

**More on VR:** *[I Tried a VR App Meant to Replace Offices, and It Was Glorious](<https://futurism.com/vr-app-replace-offices.md>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)

## More

- [You Can Now Play Dungeons & Dragons in Virtual Reality](<https://futurism.com/can-now-play-dungeons-dragons-virtual-reality.md>)
- [Alarming Video Shows Guy Boxing With Robot](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/video-boxing-robot.md>)
- [Teslasuit: This Full Body Suit Lets You Feel Virtual Reality](<https://futurism.com/teslasuit-full-body-suit-lets-feel-virtual-reality.md>)
- [Oculus Founder Suggests Video Games That Kill You in Real Life](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/oculus-founder-video-games-kill-real-life.md>)
- [Will This Glove Finally Let You Touch Stuff in VR?](<https://futurism.com/stretchable-sensor-vr-touch.md>)
- [New Microsoft Tech Lets You Use VR While Walking Outside](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-microsoft-tech-dreamwalker-vr.md>)
- [You Perceive Time Differently in Virtual Reality, Scientists Say](<https://futurism.com/virtual-reality-time-perception.md>)
- [Rejoice! Scientists Say Amazing Technology Can Make You Feel VR Spiders Crawling on Your Mouth](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/vr-spiders-crawling-mouth.md>)