Ashlee Vance's Core Memory Unveils San Francisco's Underground Humanoid Robot Fighting League

San Francisco, CA – Tech journalist and author Ashlee Vance's Core Memory media company has released a new episode delving into San Francisco's burgeoning underground humanoid robot fighting scene. The episode, which Vance described as "a banger" in a recent tweet, spotlights the innovative combat sport spearheaded by entrepreneur Cix Liv and his company, REK. This new form of entertainment combines advanced robotics with virtual reality piloting, aiming to redefine competitive combat.

The focal point of Vance's report is REK, operated by Cix Liv from a warehouse off Van Ness. Liv, a virtual reality entrepreneur and veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Bots (UFB) league, envisions REK as a fusion of sport and theater, drawing inspiration from mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, anime, and science fiction. His company is actively developing a system where human "pilots" don VR headsets and utilize arm-worn "combat controllers" to maneuver full-sized humanoid robots in real-time battles.

REK's approach involves training artificial intelligence models on videos of fighting moves, which are then translated into choreography for robots like the Booster T1 and Unitree H1 humanoids. This technology aims to enable complex and dynamic combat sequences. Liv, who has garnered attention for publicly training his humanoid robots, has expressed ambitions for REK to become the "next UFC" in the robotic combat sphere.

The San Francisco robot fighting scene, including events under the UFB league, has transformed various spaces into cyberpunk arenas, such as a coworking high-rise on Market Street. While proponents highlight the technological innovation and entertainment value, some observers have noted that the robot battles can appear less dynamic than anticipated, with robots occasionally "flopping around" or "tripping over themselves" rather than delivering decisive blows. Despite these early observations, the scene continues to attract interest and development.