Surely the robots that’ve been heavily marketed with all kinds of martial arts stunts would never be designed for violent ends, right?
We’re less certain than ever. On Wednesday, China’s Unitree released a teaser for its new “bodyguard” robot. Like with its uber-popular G1 model, it demonstrated that the humanoid robot, the H2-X “Kung Fu Legend: Guardian,” could pull off all sorts of physical feats — only this time it’s implied that these violent capabilities aren’t only for show.
In a promotional video, the robot performs its own veritable Jackie Chan highlight reel, front-flipping over cars, somersaulting after jumping from a high point, and flying through a series of acrobatic kicks.
At one point, it even lifts a vehicle to save someone from being crushed, punches a dent in the door of another, and scares off a (staged) knifeman.
