A humanoid robot teleoperator accidentally kicks itself in a painful spot.

      You need to exercise caution while practicing martial arts!

      Humanoid robots have significantly advanced recently, and there are high expectations for these sophisticated machines in the upcoming year.

      Training humanoid robots can involve various methods. For instance, Unitree’s G1 robot is partly trained through teleoperation, where a human operator either wears a motion-capture suit or uses controllers to execute specific movements or complete tasks, while the robot mirrors these actions in real time.

      This process produces data that is utilized in imitation learning algorithms, enabling the robot to acquire new autonomous skills. Reinforcement learning is then applied to refine the model, making the movements smoother and more efficient.

      However, teleoperation presents certain risks, particularly if you venture too close to the robot in training.

      Consider this recent viral video that depicts Unitree’s G1 robot during a training session. The teleoperator showcases several martial arts maneuvers while navigating a compact space that includes the humanoid robot.

      Everything seems to go well as the robot accurately mimics the teleoperator’s kicks.

      However, when the teleoperator shifts to execute a powerful kick, the robot mirrors this motion as well, inadvertently striking the operator in a sensitive area.

      He collapses to the ground, letting out a yelp of pain. The robot also falls to the ground. If it had speech capabilities, it’s likely we would have heard a similar cry.

      The teleoperator discovered the hard way that training a humanoid robot through this method requires precise care and attention. One misstep could lead to unfortunate consequences.

      Unitree introduced the impressive G1 humanoid robot in 2024, making it available for purchase in early 2025 at a price point of approximately $13,000. The Chinese company aims to reach research institutions, universities, and businesses for R&D in humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence.

      

      Not too long ago, Trevor relocated from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

      Before investing in robot butlers, hear what builders of humanoid robots admit.

      Startup leaders indicate that today’s humanoids are suited for specific warehouse tasks, not for assistance in homes.

      Humanoid robot startups are securing substantial funding, and their sales pitch sounds familiar: human-shaped machines will soon enter warehouses and factories, and eventually our homes. However, the Wall Street Journal provides a more cautious perspective from within the industry; even the companies developing these robots believe expectations have exceeded practical capabilities.

      Executives and engineers express that current humanoids remain too unreliable for the complex, multi-step tasks anticipated at home, despite their capacity to manage simpler jobs in controlled environments. The objective is not merely to create a humanoid, but to develop one that is capable of performing useful work. Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot company, has hundreds of Digit robots with clients like Amazon and auto-parts maker Schaeffler, where they facilitate item movement in warehouses.

      Master your post-Christmas sales shopping spree with these excellent tips.

      These shopping suggestions will assist you during the Christmas sales.

      Once the mince pies are stored away and the wrapping paper is cleared, remember the overlooked gadgets, clothing, and snacks that didn’t get gifted this festive season. The Christmas sales launch after the holiday itself, offering an opportunity to acquire various items at attractive discounts.

      Though not as intensely anticipated as Black Friday or Prime Day, the post-Christmas sales still present a fantastic chance to snag discounts, whether it's on a coveted gift that you didn’t receive or on remaining stock of the year's most popular products. This is a great moment to obtain the phone you've been desiring, discover a new budget GPU to enhance your gaming experience in 2026, or purchase the TV you've been waiting for.

      I compared ChatGPT’s image generation to Nano Banana, and only one produced useful stock photos.

      Testing stock image generation with two different chatbots.

      One of my personal hobbies is to pose the same question to two different chatbots and assess which one offers the better response. Similar to a professor quizzing students (which I occasionally do as a volunteer), I analyze whether a chatbot is fabricating information or providing an intelligent and coherent answer that is genuinely helpful.

      “Intelligence” and “coherence” are not terms I would typically use to characterize the images generated by chatbots. Often referred to as AI slop, these peculiar creations—often featuring a blurred background, an impeccably styled human, and perhaps even some extra thumbs—are prevalent on social media and are found as feature images in articles like this one.