Watch: T800 humanoid kung fu kicks its way to mass production

It’s hard not to think of ‘T800’ without “The Terminator” and “Skynet” coming to mind. However, EngineAI has created a robot with that exact name. This isn’t Hollywood science fiction; it’s an acrobatic, combat-ready machine that will soon be mass-produced for industrial applications, and is backed by a billion yuan in financing.

EngineAI, a Shenzhen-based robotics company founded in 2023, has recently become the talk of the robotics industry, thanks to the T800’s tagline “Born to subvert.” Indeed, the robot’s demo showcased a high degree of mobility, as it demonstrated its ability to perform high-flying kicks and kung fu moves with ease. The machine could even spar with humans.

In fact, the demo looked so slick that the company had to release a behind-the-scenes video to counter online allegations that the demo was created using CGI. Even the EngineAI CEO, Zhao Tongyang – a veteran in the robotics field – posted an Instagram video where the T800 kicked him across the room. Extraordinary commitment to his product!

The T800 stands at 1.73 m (5.7 ft) tall and weighs 75 kg (165 lb) – battery included. The robot is encased in aerospace-grade magnesium-aluminum alloy, which is highly durable but lightweight. Its body has 29 degrees of freedom (DoF). When you couple this with its 450-Nm (332-lb.ft) torque joints, the T800’s movement capabilities could be considered on par with or even better than human athletes.