Unitree Robotics, a key contender in an upcoming robot combat competition, brought its cutting-edge humanoid robots to a school in east China's Hangzhou City on Wednesday, offering a live demonstration of their capabilities and a hands-on science and technology lesson for students.
The visit served as a performance test for the robots ahead of the highly anticipated world’s first-ever robot boxing match, which is part of the China Media Group (CMG) World Robotics Skills Competition. The event will take place this Sunday in Hangzhou and be livestreamed globally by China Media Group (CMG).
The students marveled at the fine movements of the robots such as straight punches, hook punches, sidekicks, aerial spin kicks and even getting up from the ground after falling.
"It's incredible. Now I really want to know how these robots can fight with each other," said Ni Zhangyao, a student watching the robot test match at Hangzhou Qian Xuesen School.
Unitree Robotics attributed its robots’ agility to advancements in core technologies, especially algorithmic breakthroughs. Wednesday’s demonstration served as a test run for the G1 robots’ formal debut on May 25, featuring motion-capture punches, knockdowns, and recoveries.
"The robots fight in a human-machine collaborative way. We have three ways of controlling them. The most common way is that the controller uses a simple controller to control the robot's movements. We will reveal two other newly-developed control modes on the match [on Sunday]. You will see how they go by that time," said Chu Yang, a marketing team member of the Unitree Robotics.
The Unitree humanoid robots also tested their endurance at the school by complete a 40-minute jogging on the basketball court, which drew enthusiastic cheers from students.
Humanoid robots showcase combat skills ahead of world’s first robot boxing match in Hangzhou
Military clashes have escalated in western Yemen, with reports of intense fighting between Houthi forces and so‑called Saudi‑backed "mercenaries" in Al‑Hawk district in the northern part of Hodeidah province, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Friday warned of a growing risk of renewed large-scale conflict in Yemen amid escalating attacks by the Houthi group against Saudi tankers and Yemeni government forces.
In a statement, Grundberg pointed to the latest attacks by the Houthis in the provinces of Marib and Hadramout, which reportedly caused significant casualties, including civilians, as well as "attacks on commercial shipping" in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
He expressed concern over strikes on civilian infrastructure including airports, and the broader escalation of regional tensions.
Taken together, these developments risk jeopardizing gains from the 2022 truce, Grundberg said, warning that they could draw Yemen into "a broader regional confrontation."
Grundberg noted he had held intensive discussions in recent weeks with Yemeni parties, regional actors and international partners to explore options for de-escalation.
He called on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint," halt actions that could trigger military retaliation and engage in good-faith negotiations under UN auspices.
Yemen has been mired in conflicts since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
A UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022 expired in October that year without a formal extension, though a fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held since then.
The Houthi group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping in July, citing what it called a Saudi blockade against Houthi-controlled areas, a claim that Riyadh has firmly rejected.
Military clashes escalate in western Yemen: report
