In San Francisco, a new and somewhat unusual trend has emerged — underground robot fighting clubs that combine DIY hardware experiments, artificial intelligence, and performance art into high-energy, eccentric entertainment events for the tech crowd.
What once was a modest demo night has evolved into a scene where tickets are treated as status symbols and productions become increasingly complex and spectacular. Humanoid robot fights by companies Unitree and Booster Robotics take place in the basement of Frontier Tower, in front of hundreds of tech workers and influencers.
The atmosphere is anything but ordinary — improvised “ring girls,” like a Roomba vacuum attached to a mannequin leg in fishnet stockings, circle the ring collecting thrown money. People in glittery blazers take the role of announcers, delivering every blow with theatrical emphasis.
The fights are conducted in full “boxing” gear, including helmets, gloves, and costumes, creating surreal scenes that blur the line between cosplay and robotics.
While professionally organized robot fights worldwide are growing in popularity, this underground San Francisco scene offers a raw, creative, and unconventional approach — turning AI and robotics into a new form of interactive entertainment that, judging by interest, is only getting wilder.
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