China's G1 Humanoid Robot Showcases Remarkable Resilience in 'Violence Test'

Video shows China's humanoid robot enduring 'violence test'

In this video the humanoid robot is shown undergoing what the uploader called a "violence test." In the clip, a demonstrator repeatedly kicks the robot to test its balance, coordination, and durability, an approach that may look harsh, but is a common method among manufacturers and roboticists to evaluate stability and resilience. In the opening seconds, the G1, known for its lightweight frame and flexibility, is seen kicking the air while apparently under remote control. Just moments later, the robot slips on a carpet and collapses to the ground, only to spring back upright in less than a second. That quick recovery is a certified "WHAT?" moment. Notably, this is the only fall the robot suffers throughout the video, and even then it appears to be caused by the surface beneath its feet rather than the kicks themselves. Over the course of the short video, the demonstrator kicks the robot roughly nine times. The blows come from front, back, and the demonstrator doesn't seem to hold back even. Despite the repeated shoves, the G1 manages to keep its balance and posture, occasionally swaying or losing footing but quickly regaining control. The video's comment section is filled with sarcasm. One user wrote, "When the AI overlords come that guy is the first to go," while another warned, "Remember kids, one day these robots will be watching these videos too." The robot's punching and kicking motions, which often seemed directed away from the demonstrator. As one noted, "All it needs is a target tracking system, he's finished."

Unstoppable Martial Arts Robot Can Take a Direct Dropkick Without Falling Down

A new viral video shows a kickboxing humanoid robot shrugging off a flying dropkick from a human being. The research behind the stunt was conducted by scientists at the Active Intelligent Systems (ACT) Lab at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China, using Unitree's popular G1 robot. The robot's incredible agility highlights how far the tech has come in a matter of years. Chinese robot manufacturer Unitree's G1, in particular, has quickly turned into a popular test bed for reinforcement learning techniques, allowing it to pick up new skills very quickly. In fact, the only thing that even came close to defeating the robot in the video was a loose tile that tripped it up -- and even in that case, it made an impressive recovery, jumping right back up to fight some more in less than a second. We've already seen the G1 show off its martial arts prowess several times, from punching the air and delivering a swooping roundhouse kick to two of the bots facing off in a kickboxing showdown event at the World AI Conference in Shanghai last month. However, things can still go off the rails -- with alarming results. A video of a failed test run by robot combat company REK in July showed a G1 flailing its arms and legs, seemingly trying to break free of a harness. Others are using the robot for dramatically different purposes as well. Case in point, a cowboy hat-toting bipedal robot, dubbed "Jake the Rizzbot," has been wandering the streets of several US cities this summer, turning heads and flinging compliments -- instead of punches and kicks -- at passersby.