Right, gather ‘round, folks, because the future of human-robot interaction just got a little… punchier. At IROS 2025, Unitree’s H1 humanoid robot, fresh out of its digital dojo, decided to showcase its newfound kung fu skills not with a graceful kata, but by, well, clocking Professor Dennis Hong of UCLA. Yes, you read that correctly – a rather unceremonious physical engagement. Professor Hong, ever the academic, wasn’t so much concerned with the robotics breakthrough as he was with the distinct lack of an apology. He quipped, quite brilliantly, that perhaps a module on basic manners should precede advanced martial arts in the H1’s programming curriculum. So, there you have it: it appears the inaugural casualty of the inevitable robot uprising won’t be our infrastructure, but our collective good old-fashioned politeness. Who knew the machines would conquer us with a rude shove and zero remorse?
