China might be slightly behind the US in AI, but it’s making a strong case to be the global frontrunner in robotics.
After holding the world’s first half marathon for robots last month, China has now organized the world’s first robot combat championship. The championship features humanoid robots slugging it out against each other in a ring. Titled the China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Contest: Mech Combat Arena Competition, the event is being livestreamed globally.
The livestream is much like that of any other combat sport, but with a crucial difference — the combatants are robots. Two robots square off at a time in a four-sided ring. The robots are wearing boxing gloves, and punch and hit at their opponents. Opponents look to evade punches, and land some of their own. A referee in the ring oversees the fights, and steps in to stop them when needed. There is breathless commentary by a group of Chinese commentators.
According to the organizers, the event is designed to test robots’ physical limits and intelligence levels through highly competitive and visually engaging combat scenarios. The competition will also introduce pioneering rules for humanoid robot combat, requiring robots to simulate human movement patterns and make real-time intelligent decisions in complex environments.
EngineAI, a robotics company based in Shenzhen, will supply several models of humanoid robots for the competition. The company plans to open-source the robot codes, allowing participating teams to customize and train the machines.
And while this might seem like a bit of fun, the competition allows companies in China to showcase their advancements in robotics. These robots might be fighting in the ring, but it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that they could not only be deployed for military purposes, and a host of other tasks. It’s still early days in robots becoming mainstream, but with events like the robot marathon and robot combat sports, China is quietly creating an ecosystem of a technology that could shape global geopolitics in the years to come.