Latest news with #ChenXiyun
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: China stages first robot kickboxing match
Credit: CCTV/Reuters Chinese-built humanoid robots have shown off their ability to throw punches and dodge right hooks at the world's first robotic kickboxing tournament. The fighting wasn't sophisticated or particularly aggressive, often appearing more like a ballet than a boxing match, but it marked a new milestone in the global race to build an ever more realistic humanoid robot. Four fighting robots, which boxed one-on-one and in teams and were controlled remotely by ringside humans, competed in the China Media Group World Robot Competition on Sunday. The tournament was held in Hangzhou, east China, and was broadcast by Chinese state news, which boasted of the AI-enabled robots being equipped with only domestically produced technologies. 'I believe this is a moment where history shakes hands with the future. We are witnessing history,' the host of the event said. The company behind the G1 bipedal model is Unitree Robotics, a prominent Chinese company often making headlines with its flashy humanoid performances. Its flagship robot had a starring role dancing in the televised Chinese New Year's Eve gala in January. In February, the company started showcasing videos of the model performing martial arts moves, including the spin kick. By April, the robot was seen fighting with humans and easily getting back up after being knocked down. 'The robots fight in a human-machine collaborative way,' Chen Xiyun, a representative of Unitree Robotics, told the Global Times. Each robot weighs only 35kg and is 4.3ft tall – the average height of an eight-year-old child. They can carry up to 3kg, move at 5mph and are equipped with motion control, a 360 degree depth camera and AI decision-making capabilities. The G1 sells for £12,000. Credit: YouTube/Unitree Robotics According to state media, the purpose of the competition was to train the humanoids to 'learn from experience'. In each round, the robots initially struggled to work out where the opponent was, launching aimless punches as menacing blue-lit eyes peered out from their protective headgear. The robots improved quickly, delivering stronger blows, downing opponents with front push kicks, contorting their bodies into splits, and twisting and turning with significant agility. Recent advances in AI software and hardware design have brought highly advanced fighting humanoid robots far closer to reality. Elon Musk's company Tesla is developing its own humanoid called Optimus. In January, the billionaire said that 'several thousand' will be built this year to help do 'useful things' in the car company's factories. However, China's two leading robot manufacturers, Unitree and Agibot, are producing increasingly cheap yet advanced humanoids, designed to be used in everyday life, giving Beijing an early push for dominance in the market. Credit: Reuters and CCTV The Chinese humanoids have been seen running half-marathons, assisting in medical procedures, and solving Rubik's Cubes. According to the Chinese Institute of Electronics, China's humanoid robot market is projected to reach 870 billion yuan (£89 billion) by 2030. Beijing has also since set up a dedicated robotics venture fund worth more than £100 billion, in the hope that the robots could help plug gaps in China's ageing labour market. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Humanoid AI Robots In China Fight Club
Four artificial intelligence-enhanced robots have been put through their paces in a Chinese robot fighting competition, duking it out in kickboxing matches until one was declared the champion. The World Robot Competition Mecha Fighting Series had four human-controlled robots built by China-based firm Unitree compete in three, two-minute rounds with winners crowned through a points system, according to a May 26 report from the China state-owned outlet the Global Times. Chen Xiyun, a Unitree team member, said the 'robots fight in a human-machine collaborative way,' with the machines pre-taught moves, but ultimately, a person controls the bot's movements. The robots reportedly weighed 35 kilograms and stood 132 centimeters tall. Ahead of the boxing rounds, the pint-sized robots were put through tests to demonstrate a variety of kicks and punches and assist the organizers in refining the rules. The team with the highest points across the three rounds moves on to fight another opponent. A punch to the head was worth one point, and a kick to the head was worth three. Teams lost five points if their robot fell and 10 points if their robot was down for over eight seconds. During a livestream of the event on the state broadcaster CCTV, Unitree director Wang Qixin said the robotics company used 'AI technology to let robots learn.' 🤖 China hosted the world's first #humanoid robot fighting competition, the CMG World #Robot Competition. Four teams and their #UnitreeG1 robots duked it out in a globally live-streamed event! 🥊 — Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) May 26, 2025 'First of all, the motion capture will be based on some professional fighting athletes. Based on their motion capture data, the robot will learn these movements in the virtual world,' he said. In one of the first matches, a robot in pink headgear fought a robot in black headgear. After a flurry of sometimes misplaced punches and kicks, the black-donned bot was the first to be knocked down after throwing a kick and falling over. However, the black-clad android came back strong and scored a knockdown on pink in round three with a front kick. A second knockdown saw the black bot jump on the pink one to hold it down and claim the win. The pink-wearing bot and another wearing red were both eliminated, leaving the black-donned bot and one wearing green to go toe to toe in the finals. Ultimately, the black bot was declared the champion after outscoring its opponent. Another event with full-sized robots is reportedly locked in for December in South China's Guangdong Province. Also read: Watch: Humanoid Robot Goes Full Skynet After 'Imperfect Coding'
