Like a Real Terminator: First-Ever Human vs Robot Fight
A strange scene unfolded in San Francisco when a human fighter stepped into a cage against a full-sized humanoid robot. The machine quickly showed that fighting a metal opponent is very different from fighting another person.
Content creator Frankie LaPenna faced an EngineAI T800 during an event organized by robotics company REK. The company presented the encounter as the first human-versus-humanoid robot fight of its kind.
LaPenna initially managed to land several punches. The robot appeared to lose its balance more than once, giving the impression that the human might have an advantage.
That changed when the T800 began using its legs. Several powerful kicks sent LaPenna across the cage, with one strike throwing him toward the wall. The footage quickly spread online because of the machine’s strength and its striking resemblance to the fictional Terminator.
Despite the robot’s imposing performance, the fight eventually ended badly for the machine. According to REK, LaPenna managed to knock the T800 into a wall, causing its mechanism to jam and its head to come off.
LaPenna reportedly faced three different robots during the event. The confrontation with the T800 was the most dramatic, largely because of the machine’s size and the force of its kicks.
But there was an important detail behind the spectacular demonstration. The T800 was not independently making decisions like the autonomous machines seen in science fiction movies.
The robot was remotely controlled by a human operator during the fight. Its onboard systems assisted with functions such as balance and movement, while the operator controlled its actions.
The spectacle raises an unusual question about the future of robot combat. For now, humans are still behind the controls. But increasingly powerful humanoid machines are making the boundary between science fiction and real-world entertainment look much less distant.
Information sources: Daily Mail.
Earlier, it was reported that a humanoid robot suddenly attacked terrified engineers during testing in China. Social media users, leaving comments, began asking, “Has the robot uprising already begun?”
