Chinese humanoid robot fights human boxer in combat event

A Chinese humanoid robot, the众擎 T800, made its debut in a combat event against a human boxer on September 20 in San Francisco. The match took place at the REK robot combat tournament.

Video footage shows the众擎 T800, fitted with a head resembling the Terminator T800, delivering a powerful kick that knocked down influencer boxer Frankie LaPena. LaPena was wearing full protective gear.

Organizers clarified that the robot was not operating solely on AI. Instead, an operator remotely controlled the robot using VR headsets and motion controllers, while the robot managed its own dynamic balance and posture correction.

REK typically hosts battles between robots, but this event featured a human-robot confrontation. Earlier in September, the same event also featured a robot inspired by the Predator, which also fought Frankie LaPena.