Humanoid robot enters the boxing ring for the first time: thrilling, dramatic and humorous

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - A mixed martial arts tournament exclusively for humanoid robots has officially opened in China, where robots compete against each other in thrilling, dramatic, and humorous matches.

Humanoid robots make their first appearance in a thrilling, dramatic, and humorous martial arts match (screenshot from the clip).

A mixed martial arts competition for humanoid robots, organized by the China Media Group in Hangzhou, China, marks a historic step forward in the field of robotics technology.

The competition is a unique event where humanoid robots demonstrate their strength through mixed martial arts matches, a sport that demands dexterity, balance, and agile movement. This is the goal that robot manufacturers are striving for.

A full view of the mixed martial arts fight between two humanoid robots from Unitree.

This year, the competition featured only humanoid robot designs from Unitree Robotics, China's largest robot developer. The organizers hope to attract more international competitors in future competitions.

The competition consists of two parts: exhibition matches and knockout matches. The remotely controlled humanoid robots can unleash any move to defeat their opponents, without the limitations of human mixed martial arts matches.

Tran Hi Van, an engineer at Unitree Robotics, said the robots can perform straight punches, hooks, roundhouse kicks, and spinning kicks in the air, as well as quickly get up after being knocked down.

Tran said the robot models participating in the tournament were designed to operate flexibly in a high-paced environment and react quickly. Unitree's goal is to develop robots capable of analyzing situations and launching attacks using AI without human assistance.

The tournament attracted significant attention from the Chinese public, providing viewers with dramatic, thrilling, and humorous moments.

Many people are reminded of the 2011 film "Real Steel," where mixed martial arts matches between humanoid robots became a popular sport.

Following the first trial tournament, China Media Group plans to hold a second tournament in December, hoping to attract more robot participation from countries such as the United States and Japan.

A funny moment during the match between two humanoid robots.

The organizers said the tournament was an opportunity for international robotics companies to showcase the latest achievements in humanoid robot development, including artificial intelligence and agility.

Sports involving humanoid robots are booming. This past April, a half-marathon race between humans and robots took place in Beijing, China.

The first robot to complete the 21km race finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes, far behind the 1 hour and 2 minutes of the first person to cross the finish line.

The Chinese government is investing heavily in the field of humanoid robotics with preferential policies for startups, helping China take the lead in the humanoid robotics market.

According to the China Academy of Electronics, China's humanoid robot market is expected to reach 870 billion yuan (US$120 billion) by 2030.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/robot-hinh-nguoi-lan-dau-thuong-dai-dau-vo-gay-can-kich-tinh-va-hai-huoc-20250527163908646.htm