China to Hold World’s First Humanoid Robot Fighting Tournament After Marathon

The tournament will be held in Hangzhou on May 25
Four teams to compete in real-time controlled matches

Following last month’s world’s first humanoid robot half marathon held in Beijing, the world’s first humanoid robot fighting tournament will take place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on May 25.

According to China Central Television (CCTV) on May 22, China Media Group (CMG), the state-owned media company to which CCTV belongs, will host the “CMG World Robot and Series Exhibition” on May 25. The event will be divided into two categories: performances and competitions. In the performance section, humanoid robots will demonstrate solo and group routines. The competition section, featuring four teams, will involve real-time controlled robot fights to determine the final winner.

Unitree Robot is preparing for a fighting tournament. Unitree Weibo, Yonhap News

Unitree, a leading company in China’s robotics industry, will also participate in the fighting tournament. In a video released last month on its social networking service (SNS) account, Unitree’s robots were shown wearing gloves and helmets like real boxing athletes, demonstrating a variety of offensive and defensive techniques. In a demonstration match between a human and a humanoid robot, the robot was knocked down by a human, got back up, and appeared disoriented.

CCTV explained, “The robots learned eight fighting moves, including straight punches, hooks, and kicks, from professional fighters. During the initial research and development phase, the movement trajectories of professional fighters were collected and applied to the robots’ systems.”

Beijing plans to hold the world’s first humanoid robot sports competition at the National Stadium (commonly known as the Bird’s Nest) and the National Speed Skating Oval from August 15 to 17. At a press conference on May 7, Zhang Guangzhi, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, announced that the competition will feature 19 events, including floor exercise, soccer, and dance. Robots participating in the competition must operate autonomously without external energy sources, and participating teams are required to provide their own internet connections during the event. Zhang stated, “There are many challenges in robot technology innovation, product upgrades, and applications. Therefore, following the humanoid robot half marathon, we decided to also hold a sports competition.”

Prior to the sports competition, Beijing will also host the World Robot Conference from August 8 to 12, with about 200 companies participating.

Meanwhile, as the humanoid robot sector rapidly grows in China, the world’s first humanoid robot half marathon, held in Beijing on April 19, drew significant attention. In this event, humanoid robots and humans ran together, with 21 robots and approximately 9,000 marathoners participating. The winner in the robot category was “Tiangong Ultra,” finishing in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. This robot is a humanoid model, standing 180 cm tall and weighing 55 kg. Tiangong ran at a speed of 8 to 9 km/h and reportedly changed its battery three times. The human winner, a man from Ethiopia, finished much faster, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 36 seconds.