In Hangzhou, the world’s first kickboxing tournament between humanoid robots Unitree G1 was held. Each of the six “fighters” was controlled by an operator using a joystick. The contest followed all the rules: three rounds of two minutes, points awarded for strikes, and penalties for falling—everything was handled seriously.
The victory went to a robot with the speaking name AI Strategist.
It sounds like a futuristic show, but in reality it is a serious technological step. There was a time when getting a robot simply to not fall over on flat ground was already considered a success. Now they are already running marathons, working on fighting combinations, and doing so quite confidently. Coordination, stability, and the clarity of movements are all at a high level, in real time.
For now, the robots are still controlled by people. But the tournament organizers’ goal is to develop technologies that will allow robots in the future to act independently. Not far off, the day when they will need their own manager and a contract with energy drink advertising!
