REK is a company that deals with remote-controlled robots. He organized a wrestling match with Frankie LaPenna, a creator who usually deals with sketch comedy. The robot did not hold back, with a Terminator mask he delivered several blows to his opponent.
Boxing matches between robots are one of the classics in technology fairs. There is always a ring somewhere, in which two humanoid robots fight each other. More advanced models are capable of adding kicks, thrusts or other less conventional strikes to punches. The robots move a little awkwardlysometimes they fall simply due to losing their balance. Yet the show attracts people. Visitors come by, take out their phone and go home with a vertical videos to publish on social media. On September 20th the robots fighting on stage did a leap of species. For the first time, or at least for the first time in favor of the chamber, a meeting was organized between a humanoid robot and a human. The creator represented Homo sapiens Frankie LaPenna. From the other corner a robot with the appearance of Terminators procured by the robotics company REK. Here, however, it’s not just boxing: judging by the ring, which is set up like one Plexiglas cage it seems like everything is inspired by the MMA fightsmixed martial arts where in addition to punches, kicks, knees and holds are also allowed.
Frankie LaPenna doesn’t specifically deal with combat sports. Scrolling through his videos we see above all comedy sketches: on Instagram has 3 million followers. In fact, in the video he is adorned with a long series of protections all over his body, starting with a practically full-face sparring helmet. In the clips released on social media, the robot does not spare himself. He throws punches and kicks, retreats and then advances. From what we can deduce, it doesn’t seem to be all artificial intelligence, on the contrary. REK is a company that deals with remotely controlled robots: it is therefore possible that behind its movements there is an operator who decides how to regulate the power of the blows. In the end, rather than the competitive intent, it seems that behind everything there is a good advertising campaign in favor of REK. The outcome of the match is unclear. At the end of the clips released on social media, LaPenna is seen on the ground in pain and the robot loosens his robotic joints.
When robots only challenged humans at chess
Of course, seeing the level of this conflict, the times in which it seems much more civilized humans and robots fought each other only with chess. The February 10, 1996 the super computer Deep Blue developed by IBM he clashed against the chess champion Garri Kasparov. It was the beginning of a long series of matches, played exactly as if it were a tournament. Kasparov managed to win the first game, but it was also the only one. Deep Blue won three more games while two were draws. In the 1997 the rematch, also dominated by Deep Blue. Kasparov himself had defined chess as “the most violent sport that exists”. At least at the end of the matches he hadn’t punched any computers.
Other than Forum, the first robot on TV arrived in 1978: because the small screen wants humanoids
