The world's first fighting league for humanoid robots launched Thursday in Shenzhen City, China's technology hub, drawing over 200 teams from countries including China, the United States, and Singapore.
The event, officially named the Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL), places humanoids in an octagon ring to kickbox in front of a roaring crowd.
Among all competitors, only 32 teams advanced to compete for the championship belt and a prize pool of 10 million yuan (approximately USD 1.48 million).
All teams compete using the standardized EngineAI T800 full-sized humanoid robot. Judges evaluate key performance areas, including motion control, balance algorithms, perception decision-making, power systems, and structural protection.
According to Zhao Tongyang, Founder and CEO of Shenzhen-based firm EngineAI, the robots, and the intelligence behind them, are designed not only to withstand physical impacts but also to continue functioning under pressure.
"This kind of competition upgrades everything, sensors, motion control, AI decision-making, neural networks, joint performance, laying the groundwork for home robots in the future," said Zhao.
Another emerging application is companion robots. Shenzhen-based UBtech Robotics is developing robots with lifelike skin, subtle facial expressions, and a so-called "relationship-building" model powered by emotional artificial intelligence.
"Robots doing housework at home? That's five to 10 years away. But right now, we can use large model tech to make robots understand and interact with people better," Michael Tam, chief brand officer of UBtech Robotics, said.
Despite the impressive demonstrations, questions remain about how close these machines are to winning over consumers. Wu Haifeng, director of the Center for Sustainable Finance at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), pointed out that robots today are far from meeting the needs of a daily user, but he insists that with more funding and smarter minds iterating every day, the gap will gradually close.
Humanoid robot fighting league debuts in Shenzhen
The ninth Cross-Strait Youth Development Forum has officially opened in the city of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province on Friday, aiming to promote youth exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
Over 1,000 guests and youth representatives from both sides of the Strait gathered in Hangzhou for the forum, which will run through July 21. Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party Hung Hsiu-chu attended the opening ceremony.
Addressing the opening event of the forum on Friday, Song said that young people on both sides of the Strait should aspire to set lofty goals and shoulder responsibilities of the times. The Chinese mainland will provide more opportunities for the growth and development of young people across the Strait, and inject greater youthful vitality into promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advancing the cause of national reunification.
"All compatriots on both sides share the same cultural heritage. No one can sever it or erase it. Chinese culture is the source of strength that ensures the steady and sustained progress of the Chinese nation. It is also the very root of young people on both sides of the Strait. Young people across the Strait should strengthen their confidence in Chinese culture, and let it radiate with even more brilliant splendor in the new era," he said. Hung said that people on both sides of the Strait, particularly young people, are descendants of Emperors Yan and Huang, sharing the same roots, ancestry and origin. She expressed the hope that young people across the Strait would eliminate prejudice and estrangement, build a bridge for communication, and advance integrated cross-Strait development and peaceful reunification through concrete actions.
"In recent years, due to the rising tide of so-called 'anti-China' sentiments and separatist fallacies of 'Taiwan secession,' cross-Straits relations have become mired in the tension and confrontation. Yet today, young people from Taiwan have broken through numerous obstacles to gather here with all of you, expressed willingness to engage in mutual exchange and sincere dialogue. Through concrete actions, you have proven that no matter how wide the Strait may be, it cannot block the hearts of our young people in pursuit of peace and friendship. And no matter how difficult the situation is, it cannot alter the aspiration of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to grow together and move forward hand in hand," Hung said.
During the forum, a number of young people from Taiwan will also visit multiple locations across Zhejiang to participate in study tours and other programs, as they seek out new opportunities and pursue their aspirations on the mainland. "Entrepreneurship is truly the best path for young people to turn their dreams into reality. It allows you to paint the vision you hold in your heart. So I believe that if [I] have the chance to launch a venture in Zhejiang, with the support of those who came before us, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous opportunity," said Tien Jin-yu, a Taiwan youth.
Initiated in 2018, the Cross-Strait Youth Development Forum serves as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other.
Cross-Strait youth development forum opens in Hangzhou to promote youth exchanges
