A social media influencer stepped into the ring against a real-life "Terminator" robot in a bizarre showdown that offered a startling glimpse into the rapidly advancing world of humanoid robotics.
Frankie LaPenna, a 29-year-old influencer known for his outrageous online stunts, faced off against a six-foot-tall humanoid robot, one of three REK machines he fought, during a September 18 event in San Francisco organized by robotics startup Robot Entertainment Kombat.
Video of the wild encounter shows the towering machine, complete with a metallic skeleton and glowing red eyes reminiscent of the killer robots from the Terminator movies, entering a cage to battle its human opponent.
LaPenna initially appeared to hold his own, landing several punches against the machine - however, the robot quickly fought back and unleashed a series of powerful kicks, including one that sent the influencer flying across the cage.
The machine wasn't fighting on its own: a human handler was controlling it, according to Futurism.
Organizers billed the spectacle as the world's first human-versus-humanoid robot cage fight.
The machine was an EngineAI T800, a sophisticated humanoid robot developed by Shenzhen-based Chinese robotics startup EngineAI. The unusual showdown also landed organizers in hot water with California regulators.
The California State Athletic Com
