Photo by Jeffery Ho on Unsplash
Humanoid Robot Test Skills In World’s First Robot Kickboxing Competition
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The world’s first robot kickboxing competition took place in Hangzhou, China, last Sunday. Four humanoid robots developed by the Chinese startup Unitree Robotics showcased their fighting skill during the event organized by China Media Group.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Four humanoid robots developed by Unitree participated in the world’s first robot kickboxing competition.
- The event was broadcast by CCTV, and robots performed in front of a live audience.
- Unitree G1 models demonstrated their coordination, stability, speed, and punching abilities.
According to South China Morning Post , the competition was broadcast by China Central Television (CCTV), giving the robotics company an opportunity to demonstrate its robot‘s capabilities and skills in front of a live audience.
The humanoid machines—Unitree G1 models, which stand 130 centimeters tall and weigh 35 kilograms—demonstrated their coordination, stability, speed, and punching abilities. During the fight, the robots wore protective gear and were controlled by humans using voice commands and remote controls.
“The [machine’s] operation, including keeping balance and making movements, is powered by a set of algorithms,” said Liu Tai, deputy chief engineer at China Telecommunication Technology Labs and commentator at the CCTV broadcast.
The event included matches and fighting demonstrations in two-minute rounds. The robots began by warming up and then fighting in the refereed matches, keeping balance when pushed, and hitting back at their opponents.
The kickboxing competition took place just a few weeks after the world’s first half marathon featuring both humans and robots , in which multiple robotics companies participated. More events featuring humanoid robots are expected later this year.
Beyond entertainment, this type of event allows tech companies to demonstrate advances in robotics and the capabilities of humanoid robots developed by the leading companies in the industry during these competitive times.
Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash.
Nvidia Develops Affordable Blackwell AI Chips For China
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Nvidia is developing customized Blackwell AI chips for the Chinese market and expects to begin mass production of the first models by June to sell them at a lower cost than similar graphics processing units (GPUs). The new AI chips are expected to be priced between $6,000 and $8,000.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Nvidia is developing AI chips for the Chinese market
- The tech giant expects to begin production of the new models by June.
- The new GPUs will be cheaper than the H20 models, the company might sell them for $6,000 to $8,000.
According to an exclusive report by Reuters , the new GPUs will be cheaper than the H20 models, and specifically adapted for the Chinese market, in light of the U.S. government’s restrictions. Nvidia’s strategy to develop customized AI chips for the region was revealed last year , and now further details and progress have been confirmed.
Anonymous sources told the news agency that the tech giant is building the new AI chips based on its RTX Pro 6000D GPU, which includes GDDR7 memory, and not the most advanced memories they have developed.
The sources familiar with the matter also explained that Nvidia currently sells the H20 models for between $10,000 to $12,000 and expects to price the upcoming AI chips at around $6,000 to $8,000. The company has optimized manufacturing requirements to reduce cost by using less advanced technology, and excluding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS) packaging.
“Until we settle on a new product design and receive approval from the U.S. government, we are effectively foreclosed from China’s $50 billion data center market,” said a spokesperson from Nvidia to Reuters.
China represents 13% of Nvidia’s sales, as reported in the most recent report of the company’s financial year. The company expects to stay relevant in the Chinese market with the new affordable AI chips, while complying with the restrictions imposed by the U.S. government.
A few days ago, the company’s CEO, Jensen Huang, said at a news conference in Taipei that the strict regulations imposed by the U.S. to limit the influx of advanced technology to the region have backfired and are making Chinese companies stronger and less dependent on American products.
Huang described the export control measures as a “failure” and said they will try every strategy to keep selling chips in China.
