China’s latest humanoid robot just took a beating — and didn’t flinch. At Shenzhen’s Southern University of Science and Technology, a Unitree G1 automaton endured kicks and blows from a lab worker before striking back with martial-arts style shadow kicks. The combat-ready bot has already shown off a jaw-dropping 720-degree roundhouse that once disarmed its own CEO in a sparring match. With China pushing robots into everything from fashion shows to public security, the high-tech smackdown is the latest volley in the global robot arms race.

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