Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration Unveils Kung Fu Robots

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During China's annual Lunar New Year celebration, a group of humanoid robots from the company Unitree performed an impressive display of martial arts, parkour, and breakdancing. This demonstration, broadcast to over 1 billion viewers in China, showcased a dramatic improvement in the robots' physical capabilities compared to a similar display just one year prior, sparking concerns about the rapid advancement of China's robotics technology.

Why it matters

The rapid progress of China's humanoid robots, from barely being able to walk a year ago to now performing complex martial arts maneuvers, highlights the country's technological prowess and the potential military applications of such advanced robotics. This display is seen as a deliberate show of force intended to impress and potentially intimidate the West.

The details

The Lunar New Year celebration featured two dozen Unitree humanoid robots executing a wide range of physical feats, including punching, kicking, back-flipping, wielding nunchucks, vaulting over obstacles, and running at speeds up to 9 miles per hour. This marked a dramatic improvement from the company's previous demonstration a year earlier, where the robots could only awkwardly shuffle on stage and wave red handkerchiefs.

• The Lunar New Year celebration and robot demonstration aired on February 16, 2026.
• A year prior, in 2025, Unitree's robots could only perform basic movements.

What’s next

Experts will likely continue to closely monitor the development of China's humanoid robotics capabilities, as the rapid progress demonstrated during the Lunar New Year celebration raises concerns about potential military applications.