World’s First Humanoid Robot Combat League Launches in Shenzhen
China has launched the world’s first humanoid robot free combat league in Shenzhen, turning martial arts-style competition into a real-world testing ground for embodied AI and robotics.
Humanoid robots are robotic systems designed with a human-like form factor, enabling them to move, manipulate objects, and operate in environments built for people. Unlike traditional industrial machines, humanoids aim to combine mobility, dexterity, and embodied intelligence to perform a wide range of physical tasks. This topic covers advances in locomotion, balance, manipulation, perception, and AI-driven control systems, as well as real-world deployment in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and service roles. It also examines the technical, economic, and safety challenges of scaling humanoid platforms beyond research and pilot programs. As hardware matures and AI models improve, humanoid robots are increasingly positioned as general-purpose systems for complex, unstructured environments.
China has launched the world’s first humanoid robot free combat league in Shenzhen, turning martial arts-style competition into a real-world testing ground for embodied AI and robotics.
Chinese robotics company AGIBOT staged an unprecedented live gala where humanoid robots performed comedy, magic, music, and dance, signaling a new phase in human-robot cultural interaction.
Humanoid robots have joined monks at China’s Shaolin Temple for kung fu training, highlighting how physical AI is increasingly intersecting with human movement, culture, and embodied learning.
Indian automation firm Addverb has unveiled Elixis-W, the country’s first domestically developed wheeled humanoid robot, marking a shift from experimental robotics to real industrial deployment.
China’s Li Auto is expanding beyond electric vehicles, positioning artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics as core pillars of its long-term strategy.
Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future is shifting its strategy toward humanoid robots and embodied AI, joining a growing list of automakers betting on robotics to redefine their future beyond cars.
A Shanghai-based robotics team has unveiled Moya, a humanoid robot designed with warm synthetic skin, expressive facial reactions, and a walking gait that closely mirrors human movement.
Engineers from Zhejiang University and local startups have revealed Bolt, a full-size humanoid robot capable of running at up to 10 meters per second, pushing humanoid locomotion closer to elite human performance.
Tesla is signaling a strategic pivot away from its Model S and Model X vehicles as it prioritizes investment in autonomous driving systems and its Optimus humanoid robot program.
Elon Musk told World Economic Forum attendees that humanoid robots could outnumber humans and enter mass markets as early as 2027, reshaping labor, economics, and daily life.