This footage was taken at the 2010 All Japan Robot Sumo Finals and pits small robots which are both remote controlled and programmed to fight an opponent (meaning that the humans are not entirely in control …).
I know what you’re thinking: those little robots cannot possibly be sumo wrestlers. But since the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling dictates that the loser is the first one to touch the ground with a body part besides his feet or leave the ring, then the wrestlers don’t necessarily have to be humans, do they? A typical match between robots takes a brisk 6 to 15 seconds, entertaining the Shinto gods without taking up too much of their time. I think this opens up a world of possibilities that Japan has probably already made game shows about.
(via Bot Junkie via io9)
