Unitree humanoid robots battle it out in kickboxing competition

The first-ever humanoid robot fighting tournament has kicked off in China, with Unitree robots showcasing the rapid advancement in robotics.

In Hangzhou, China, robots were gearing up to battle it out in the world's first humanoid robot fighting competition.

The humanoid robots, developed by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese robotics company based in the city, were seen throwing dynamic and fluid punches in the ring.

The tournament was kitted out with a human referee and an audience of active fight fans who are seen cheering the robots on as they attempt to land punches on their opponent.

Unitree showed its ability to equip its humanoid robots with a wide range of combat skills, while positioning itself as one of the first robotics companies to enter the world’s first humanoid robot fighting competition.

The fight night, held by The China Media Group, included fighting demonstrations and real-time matches where these robots were teleoperated by humans.

In a video provided by the BBC, the robots are agile, throwing various combinations and shots at their opponents.

The robots can be seen throwing straight punches, hooks, and even using their legs to disarm their opponent.

One of the robots is seen slipping while trying to get back in the ring. The robot struggles to get up but manages to maintain its balance and quickly jump up to its feet.

The robotics company describes the robot, Unitree G1, as “a pioneer in robot combat.” It stands 1.32 meters tall and weighs only 35 kilograms.

“Powered by a motion-capture training system, enabling pro-level performance from straight punches to left and right hooks to front kicks, all in seamless succession,” Unitree said.

The robots need to demonstrate good balance in fighting scenarios, and the company claims that their robots can recover effectively from heavy impacts.

Unitree’s G1 can be controlled via motion sensors, motion control, and voice commands, which allows it to continuously learn new skills.

This isn’t the first sport that Unitree G1 robots have participated in. Just recently, they participated in the robot half-marathon in Beijing.

However, the Unitree G1 fell at the starting line. The company said that the client used the robot without its algorithms, TechCrunch reports.