Wild Video Shows Robots Fighting in Kickboxing Match

Forget Battle Bots... this is robot combat with fists of steel.

Mortal Robots

Two humanoid robots entered the ring to trade punches and kicks at an event in Hangzhou, China, over the weekend.

Footage shows the two skinny bipedal units jabbing, kneeing, and swiping at each other, leading to plenty of stumbling and a faceplant. However, the fallen competitor got back on its feet in seconds, extending the scuffle for a nail-biting finale.

However, the robots weren't acting autonomously just yet, as they were being remotely controlled by human operator teams.

The skirmish was part of the China Media Group World Robot Competition, as the BBC reports, featuring robots built by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics.

It's a surprisingly entertaining new take on a sport, offering us a glimpse of what a future of sporting events featuring highly dexterous androids could one day look like — almost like an agility-oriented riff on the 2011 robot boxing epic "Real Steel."

Per state-run Chinese tabloid The Global Times, the competition "marks a historic moment as it is the world's first combat sports event centered around humanoid robots, signaling the gradual integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into combat sports."

 

Ray Botinson

According to Chinese state-owned news broadcaster CGTN, a humanoid robot dubbed "AI Strategist" won over "Silk Artisan" after dealing a "decisive knee blow, knocking down the opponent and securing victory."

During a second round, "Armored Mulan" was KO'd by "Energy Guardian" and accidentally stumbled during a third round, rounding out its disappointing performance.

The bout, and similar demos, show that Unitree has made immense progress in giving its humanoid robots a striking degree of dexterity. In a video that went viral in February, a G1 humanoid robot can be seen pulling some gnarly kung fu moves.

The company, among other Chinese competitors, is already mass-producing both bipedal and quadrupedal robots for relatively low prices, especially compared to the likes of Boston Dynamics' Spot Mini.

More on humanoid robots: Humanoid Robots Are Starting to Work Human Warehouse Jobs