The Ultimate Robot Smackdown

More than thirty robots went head-to-head in Toyama, Japan last weekend at the prestigious Robo-One competition.

Our favorite contender was a one-armed stabbing robot that can be operated by brain waves. The inventor attached a series of electrodes to his forehead and used neural waves to tell it when to walk forward, rotate right, and unleash its stabbing arm.

You’d think this mind-controlled robo-stabber would crush the competition, but surprisingly, it didn’t come away the victor. Instead, a more conventional robot with double-fisted clamps, walking, and rolling capabilities took the prize (see video below). No word on whether the runner-up got its revenge.

Popular Science: Stabbing Robot Works by Mind Control, Still Loses Japanese Gladiator Competition

(Photo of Taku Ichikawa's stabbing robot courtesy Mainichi Daily News)