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Piloted Humanoid Robots Trade Blows at CES Showcase in Las Vegas

Organizers present the bouts as a data-gathering testbed to refine humanoid control using human motion capture.

Overview

  • At the BattleBots Arena alongside CES, UFB staged live matches where schoolchild‑sized humanoids punched and kicked under a human referee.
  • Ringside pilots drove the robots in real time using live camera feeds and motion‑sensing controllers that mirrored their movements.
  • The bouts drew paying crowds and curious industry observers, including Boston Dynamics staff who came to gauge entertainment value and technical traits.
  • Organizers said telemetry and biomechanical data from the matches will be used to improve mobility, control algorithms, and AI decision‑making.
  • UFB has sold out prior shows in San Francisco, and the Las Vegas fights showed early‑stage limits with frequent stumbles and missed strikes that still elicited cheers.