🤖 "Underground" Robot Combats Debut in San Francisco
An arena was set up in the basement of a 16‑story Frontier Tower. The whole vibe was pure cyberpunk: neon lights, techno beats, dazzling outfits, drinks in acid colors, and of course, robots.
In the ring, robots from China's Unitree went head‑to‑head, each controlled by a human operator. Every fighter had their own persona and backstory.
Between rounds, a robotic vacuum cleaner rolled across the floor, collecting bills the audience had thrown at the "boxers."
"Robot fighting feels like a cyberpunk concept come to life. This could turn into a tournament like Formula One, where engineering teams compete," said Guillaume Verdon, co‑founder of an AI startup who attended the show.
The hosts of the UFB (Ultimate Fighting Bots) league are Vitaly and Xenia Bulatov. The couple runs one of the tower's floors, home to several robotics startups.
According to Vitaly, the audience's reaction exceeded expectations. Shows like this can give robotics a boost.
"Robotics was historically B2B. Entertainment is what unlocks robotics for consumers and scale now," he explains.
