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REK stages human versus humanoid robot fight in San Francisco

On September 18, 2026, San Francisco hosted an event billed by REK as the world's first fight between a human and a humanoid robot, featuring a teleoperated EngineAI T800.

A metallic humanoid robot with glowing red eyes, styled like a Terminator, enters through a doorway into an arena surrounded by spectators.
Image: @Rainmaker1973

On September 18, 2026, San Francisco hosted what was billed by the organization REK as the world's first human versus humanoid robot fight. REK, a US-based robotics company, organized the event, staging full-contact bouts involving human-controlled humanoid robots.[1][2]

The machine deployed for the match was the EngineAI T800 model, developed by a robotics company based in Shenzhen. For the event, the robot was customized with an aesthetic heavily inspired by Terminator. A human pilot teleoperated the robot using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and motion-tracking gear, while an on-board AI system managed dynamic balance.[2]

Key facts

  • The event was held in San Francisco on September 18, 2026, and was billed by REK as the world's first human versus humanoid robot fight.
  • REK, a US-based robotics company, organized the full-contact bouts involving human-controlled humanoid robots.
  • The robot featured was the EngineAI T800 model, developed by a Shenzhen-based robotics company.
  • The T800 robot was customized for the event with a design heavily inspired by Terminator.
  • The machine was teleoperated by a human pilot wearing a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and motion-tracking equipment, supported by an on-board AI system managing dynamic balance.

Sources · 2 sources

  1. TI

    The Indian Express@IndianExpressPost on X ·

    The US-based robotics company REK organised the fight, staging full-contact bouts involving human-controlled humanoid robots. https://t.co/6HYlSfgCPY

    Open source
  2. MA

    Massimo@Rainmaker1973Post on X ·

    On September 18, 2026, San Francisco hosted what was billed by the organization REK as the world's first human vs. humanoid robot fight. The machine used was the EngineAI T800 model, developed by a Shenzhen-based robotics company. For the event, it was customized with an aesthetic heavily inspired by Terminator. The robot was teleoperated by a human pilot using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and motion-tracking gear, backed by an on-board AI system to handle dynamic balance. https://t.co/n2c3IThRNJ

    Open source