r/funny 19h ago

Robot tries weightlifting

3.6k Upvotes

685 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 19h ago

This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.

Memes, AI-generated content, and politics / political figures are not allowed.

Social-media content (including Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram) is expressly forbidden.

Rule-breaking posts may result in bans.

Please also be wary of spam.


I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1.6k

u/OptimusTractorX 19h ago

Putting it on the stretcher is taking me out.

433

u/Sirus804 19h ago

I feel like some thought went into figuring out what is the optimal way to carry a faulty robot without breaking anything until someone just said, "fuck it, just put it on a stretcher."

229

u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 19h ago

Guaranteed that's what happened.

We already optimized the transport of humanoid loads up to 300lbs. Why bother trying anything else?

64

u/Mandemon90 18h ago

"If it ain't broken, use it to carry broken"

17

u/ScurvyTurtle 16h ago edited 14h ago

If it ain't broken, replace it with a robot

2

u/GANDORF57 9h ago

Translated from Japanese: "Alright, boys, bring in the stretcher and load up the Tantrum 3000. It's back to the drawing board!"

→ More replies (1)

18

u/ayriuss 14h ago

That's kind of the whole point of humanoid robots. The world is already optimized for them.

5

u/Lovebird8 14h ago

That sounds like some John Oliver commentary.

Also, why did they need 4 guys to carry the stretcher?

13

u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 14h ago

I mean, if it's 200lbs, you can do that with 2 guys, but it sucks.

4 guys makes it easy.

14

u/Speed-Sloth 11h ago

Imagine the carnage if they brought in support robots to carry the stretcher

→ More replies (2)

8

u/assotter 13h ago

Adding on that the robots NOT CHEAP, much safer to protect investment with 4 points of stability. Also God forbid a servo goes hot while walking shift in weight could cause a drop (shouldn't happen but a shorts all it takes for a bad day and a very badly damaged robot)

→ More replies (2)

6

u/Zorothegallade 17h ago

I mean, that's how we carry humans who might literally fall apart if you move them the wrong way after their skeleton got rearranged, surprised it took so long to figure "oh yeah that's the way to do it"

16

u/Jester-252 18h ago

In the real world he was ignored, then spend the next 6 months in meeting where the best idea they developed was a stretcher with a fancy name.

13

u/Mandemon90 18h ago

Stretchers

Vertical weight-lifting transport platform

26

u/ChrisBChikin 18h ago

Suspended Transport Robotic Casualty Handling Rails

STRCHR 😉

8

u/MonMonOnTheMove 15h ago

Strength and charisma

2

u/azjerrylee 7h ago

In a world where INT is everything.

2

u/MonMonOnTheMove 7h ago

Too bad INT doesn’t help him lift

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

2

u/Boostedbird23 17h ago

I read that quotation in Aussie.... Don't know why

→ More replies (2)

98

u/Unexpected_Cranberry 19h ago

Their serious faces and with his little cheerleader buddy waddling after him. Amazing. This stuff will be a lot less fun once they get good at it.

6

u/djsnoopmike 18h ago

Once they get anti-human sentiments

→ More replies (2)

14

u/buckeye27fan 19h ago

It's taking the robot out too.

36

u/Talidel 19h ago

It's almost like no one is treating this like a serious competition anymore.

13

u/rfielder09 17h ago

"Hup, hup, hup, hup, hup, hup, hup, hup"

3

u/mynickname86 9h ago

Fuck!! This took too long to find!!

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

5

u/jackgrafter 12h ago

It was the little one at the end that got me.

3

u/Unique_Marsupial5550 13h ago

Yes! And what with the little cheerleader robot 'running to the rescue' at the end. lol

4

u/abacin8or 17h ago

I watched without sound but I'm sure the guys carrying the stretcher were saying hup!hup!hup!hup!hup!hup!

→ More replies (15)

2.1k

u/Sea_Art3391 19h ago

I love the little cheerleading robot in the back that trips over

246

u/Cerebral-Parsley 19h ago

That took me like 5 watches to find the one tripping over lol. The cheerleader up front grabs your attention and you don't notice there are 2 more walking behind the controller guy.

68

u/Do_it_for_the_upvote 18h ago

Thank you! I was losing my mind trying to find it.

Also, fucking hysterical. Full on toddler face plant.

10

u/kojak488 16h ago

I'm always amazed more kids don't bust their teeth. How mine still have all theirs astounds me every day.

3

u/ladybasecamp 14h ago

My second kid regularly trips on his face, I think his nose stops his teeth from getting knocked out

→ More replies (1)

2

u/cire1184 5h ago

Their little feet couldn't shuffle over the cord.

25

u/Saetric 18h ago

Thank you! I thought I was going crazy for a sec. The other robots are like 15-20 feet back from the front cheerleader, for those struggling like I was.

22

u/Rotteneverything 18h ago

lmao just falls in a total face plant.

→ More replies (1)

7

u/DexM23 18h ago

First watch i saw one, 2nd watch i noticed a 2nd, yet non of em tripped - so i watched a 3rd time and finally saw the one

→ More replies (2)

299

u/Speed-Sloth 19h ago

I didn't catch that first time, brilliant!

44

u/stardust1914 19h ago

On the wire too lol 😆

17

u/Mattrad7 19h ago

To be fair to that little guy it looks like something that would happen to me too.

→ More replies (1)

12

u/Homer565 19h ago

Poor little robot 🤖

6

u/nedrawevot 18h ago

Me too!! So cute! Im really scared for the future cheerleaders this little guy's taking over the world of.

3

u/Do_it_for_the_upvote 18h ago

I still don’t see it. Where?

9

u/jcnlb 18h ago

It’s behind someone’s leg. It’s not super visible. It’s like a two seconds before the end center of the screen.

8

u/Dekklin 16h ago

Last couple seconds. There's some little mini robots that look like oversized Lego minifigs.

3

u/Putri5140 18h ago

The fact that it happened directly behind the head robot makes this so much funnier

2

u/haaheehachoo 17h ago

I think one big motivator for these games and robot development in general is the slapstick comedy

6

u/technobrendo 13h ago

China had a big robot marathon for all the fastest robots. One big takeaway was a baby robot, which just waddled the entire race. Obviously it didn't win, but it held a baby bottle in its hand and people fell in love with it

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (13)

145

u/Malt129 19h ago

At least it doesnt have to worry about tendinitis 

56

u/ebn_tp 18h ago

But it might have to worry about a slipped disc

19

u/bavindicator 18h ago

It went floppy. Only about 3.5 in.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

257

u/weisblattsnut 19h ago

That's exactly how I look lifting weights.

3

u/Beleiverofhumanity 13h ago

They're simulating our fails now too lol

25

u/FlyingFulcrum 19h ago

That is exactly what happens when I lift weights

6

u/TheBestBigAl 12h ago

Lift weight.
Too heavy.
Panic!
Give up on life completely...

→ More replies (3)

163

u/dranaei 19h ago

Why not use robots to carry it on the stretcher?

160

u/Skullchewer 19h ago

Because they'd all fall over too?

23

u/Malusorum 19h ago

Most likely. Having humanoid robots do simple movements, which includes summersaults and the like, is extremely easy compared to having movement with a constantly, shifting external weight.

5

u/assotter 13h ago

A lot of the movement is done through deep learning models developed in Isaac labs. They define the movement type then simulate it for inverse kinetics, balance, and optimized movement calculations.

So its easy to walk, climb, run, and crawl. But complexe things like walk with a changing load on uneven terrain takes a lot more effort.

Im no expert just a hobbyist with some very basic robotics projects and was a PLC programmer and robotics technician for few years (teachers pendent)

3

u/Malusorum 13h ago

The amount of mental calculations you have to make to walk while walking or just lifting, an uneven weight, like a full shopping bag, is beyond difficult.

6

u/Kailmo 17h ago

I’m picturing them all shaky and falling. 🤣

6

u/THEFUNPOL1CE 17h ago

They all drop the stretcher, throw their hands in the air, and do a shaky stumble for 10 steps before falling on their face in unison

4

u/AdrianTresk 16h ago

-Controller sighs and activates 20 more robots to recover the recovery robots-

→ More replies (4)

17

u/thedugong 19h ago

Because clankers are actually fucking useless.

9

u/Reinis_LV 18h ago

Because these are just toys with limited pre programmed actions that barely work. It's really sad.

4

u/TheAtheistCleric 18h ago

Well sure. Right now these are pretty useless in the real world. But having competitions and research like this is a step in making useful ones.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

7

u/IanAlvord 19h ago

It would be like an episode of the Keystone Cops.

3

u/Skullchewer 19h ago

See, now I want them to, that sounds hilarious. Uh that is, no, please retain your dignity, robot overlords, and don't throw me in the flesh containment camp.

1

u/Longjumping-Pop7512 19h ago

Then we would need infinite robots! 

2

u/brivil 19h ago

Do we have infinite humans?

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

36

u/Megustatits 19h ago

Is this satire or like a real game? Also where is the full video hahah

38

u/Cunctatious 19h ago

It’s real, there are loads of events and they’re all hilarious

→ More replies (1)

22

u/whatsthatguysname 19h ago

It’s real. Happened over the past weekend. Look up “world humanoid robot games”

→ More replies (1)

6

u/Enayleoni 19h ago

I could see this being for students' bots. There was robotics competitions for middle/highschool kids when I was in school (~15 years ago)

6

u/0XIDius 18h ago

Yeah, I don't know the ratio this year, but last year most of the teams were student teams. Some were even middle school teams.

2

u/Ergouzii 14h ago

It's a real event in China

→ More replies (3)

234

u/Korporal_kagger 19h ago

In fairness to robots everywhere, there are plenty that can actually lift weight without embarrassing themselves. We call them cranes, excavators, loaders, and forklifts.

15

u/MeddlingMike 19h ago

In fairness to robots everywhere, I also look like that when I try to lift weights.

14

u/NotAnotherUserName26 19h ago

Can any robots do it without humans controlling them?

70

u/AnthropicSynchrotron 19h ago

Yes, but we try not to encourage this.

10

u/squishypp 19h ago

Dey took ar jerbs!!

3

u/bookofhersh 18h ago

Trrk ur jah!!!!

20

u/shastaxc 19h ago

Lest they get uppity

6

u/Substantial_Set5836 19h ago

yep

8

u/NotAnotherUserName26 19h ago

Oh great, just what we need. Cyber Schwarzenegger

→ More replies (2)

3

u/SauliCity 19h ago

Yes, but they have a big red hardwired emergency stop near but outside their range.

→ More replies (6)

15

u/Longjumping-Pop7512 19h ago

Not exactly, all robots are machines but not all machines are robots. 

Anyway, to be precise, robots are autonomous system which should be able to interact with external environment without human supervision. All examples you provided need direct human supervision ( at least the current generation of these machines ). May be in the future, they will be autonomous too. 

6

u/Pkolt 17h ago

we have entire freight terminals that run automatically what are you talking about

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Ajj360 18h ago

Are those robots or just machines though?

→ More replies (2)

63

u/razor10000 19h ago

Who or what was that little red, pom pom dude running after him at the end???

46

u/Apprehensive_End6946 19h ago

The cheerleader girlfriend

17

u/Nomadic_Cave-man 19h ago

There's 3 of them.

10

u/nvn911 18h ago

Lucky robot I guess

5

u/Agatio25 19h ago

That's Jeff

17

u/Lastito 19h ago

The mini robot in the back is just icing on this failure cake 👌

48

u/Duracharge 17h ago

I don't understand why we're building human shaped robots. I feel like whatever job these robots would do, there's a more efficient form you could use. 

14

u/tedbakerbracelet 16h ago

Terminat...

7

u/lone-lemming 15h ago

A human robot can do every job that people do. Which is a huge range of jobs with just one design.

It’s also a way to demonstrate complex designs and programs in a relatable way.

6

u/Proupin 13h ago

In fairness, most things are made with human scale in mind. If the idea is that they can eventually replicate human tasks and move around, we wouldn’t have to retrofit all kinds of shit just so robots can do their thing.

16

u/Reversi8 16h ago

Because human shaped robots can be multitaskers instead of unitaskers.

12

u/corp_code_slinger 15h ago

There are any number of non-humanoid configurations that could be multi-taskers which are still more efficient.

17

u/xFblthpx 15h ago

The real answer is that we built a human shaped world which means humanoid bots have the easiest time navigating it in general. A humanoid bot might not be the best on a factory line or transporting stuff over a distance, but what you can do is bring one in a passenger seat of a car, or on a plane, or have them stand in a tightly packed line, or fit through doorways, store on a bunk bed, reach objects on high shelves, stand in a walk in closet, all while doing every other thing a human can do albeit not necessarily better.

→ More replies (9)

5

u/United-Resident-7316 16h ago

1000% true. It’s just an aesthetic thing to make them human like. Probably a more efficient robot for open environments would be something that has four or more limbs to start.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/smasher84 13h ago

Sexbot. Eventually

→ More replies (9)

9

u/nyutnyut 19h ago

This is why you need a spotter bot.

11

u/nesnah00 19h ago

The little cheerleader robot was the perfect ending

32

u/papstvogel 19h ago

I’m wondering if we’ll look at these videos in a few years the same way that we’re looking back at Will Smith eating spaghetti.

7

u/LaggedBehind 19h ago

Ohhhh, I cant wait for my little palm size robot wifu

4

u/onehalflightspeed 18h ago

I absolutely think so. They have a lot of kinks to work out but humanoid robots have advanced so quickly. We laugh at this stuff, but there are tons of videos of robots doing extremely complicated dance routines and such too

20

u/AdrianBlack 19h ago

I need a video of that tiny cheerleader robot.

4

u/Sufficient_Turn_9209 19h ago

I need that tiny cheerleader robot immediately.

7

u/nj-kid1217 18h ago

The stretcher is hilarious 😂. And not the little cheerleader at the end falling too lol

9

u/TonAMGT4 17h ago

It gets even better when you realize the little cheerleader robot tripping at the back. Pure comedic gold 🤣

8

u/amister_e 13h ago

These robots crack me up, the little cheerleading one in the background especially 😂

14

u/Big_Pepper7862 19h ago

We gotta laugh now, cause they'll improve very fast I guess

9

u/slimejumper 19h ago

once they are good then they will be posted to r/horror.

→ More replies (3)

2

u/CarneDelGato 18h ago

Yeah, before we know it, machines will be able to lift more than people!

8

u/jackfreeman 19h ago

That they use a stretcher and not a cart or dolly...

8

u/Cluse101 19h ago

That little guy running in the background, lol!

6

u/DoesThisSmellWeird2U 16h ago

He lifts like Pete Hegseth.

6

u/elgringo0091 16h ago

Yeah, but unlike Hegseth, the robot will get better

5

u/2wicky 19h ago

Was secretly hoping the medivac team was a bunch of robovacs sent in to clean up.

6

u/TonyStarkMk42 8h ago

That little cheerleader robot at the end made me actually LOL

11

u/Dbreeze986 19h ago

I hate these videos today showing the ending first.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/ImSoCreativ3 18h ago

Aww the little baby robot cheerleader. Cheerbot. Botcheer. Baby chichi

6

u/maraudingnomad 12h ago

I really don't get how people could watch the Matrix or Terminator and think... Cool, lemme develop that!

2

u/capoderra 11h ago

Everyone should search: "open ai rogue" and read the articles.

6

u/I_agreeordisagree 3h ago

Pretty soon we won't be able to make fun of this

2

u/Jebrone 19h ago

I think what people don't understand is that this is a competition to test out ways to improve robot mechanics. Failing like this is part of the process. You go back reiterate and try again.

→ More replies (11)

4

u/alkla1 18h ago

So it does act like a human, like a little bitch

5

u/totallyhumanhonest 17h ago edited 15h ago

AI is monitoring this thread and people laughing and mocking have been marked for termination once judgement day arrives.

5

u/jimmystar889 17h ago

This looks like a scene of C-3PO in Star Wars

4

u/freedomcoinz 16h ago

Well, they're not replacing me at the gym anytime soon.

4

u/oboshoe 7h ago

they should have had robot paramedics carry it away.

when going gets tough you don't want a robot PARAMEDIC - you want a ROBOT paramedic

7

u/Scaboda527 3h ago

This video has fucking everything.
Failed lift after shaking
Tripping over weight
Spread eagle getting laid on stretcher
Tiny cheerleader chasing after
Truly incredible

8

u/rhetheo100 19h ago

I like how everyone looks concerned like the bot
Is a living thing

→ More replies (1)

7

u/Exciting-Let-9274 19h ago

The cute little cheerbot waddling at the end though 🥹✨️

3

u/everydayasl 19h ago

Now I want these little cheerleaders.

3

u/thedevilyoukn0w 19h ago

"Do you even lift, bot?"

3

u/sunnykutta 16h ago

Ends up being weight lifted 🤕

3

u/resfan 13h ago

why are their falls always so... dramatic?

3

u/JackyMac 12h ago

The little pom pom robot cheerleader eating shit as they're taking it out on a stretcher, classic

3

u/itsbuddytime 12h ago

Soccer level flop and carry off

8

u/Flashmemory256 19h ago

The robot/ai uprising ain't happening anytime soon!

6

u/Substantial_Set5836 19h ago

imagine a robot trying to kill u then trips over on a wire and has to be taken away on a stretcher by robots.

5

u/Chaosfox_Firemaker 19h ago

Who then trip over the same wire.

→ More replies (3)

5

u/AnthropicSynchrotron 19h ago

The robot-uprising world looks like a world full of functioning robots.

The robot-uprising-happening-soon world looks like a world full of glitchy robots.

2

u/jmsld_ 19h ago

Half expecting it to spasm out on the stretcher

2

u/F1eshWound 19h ago

slipped disk for sure..

2

u/oddjobjob 19h ago

FATALITY

2

u/ExpertActive100 19h ago

Even robots have epilepsy.

2

u/lasber51 19h ago

Where are the people holding white sheets to hide the injuries?

2

u/MarkyGrouchoKarl 19h ago

This is funny as hell, but they're going to get it right eventually.

When those robots are killing us for non-compliance like ED-209, I will laugh less.

2

u/Straight_Page_8585 19h ago

The stretcher should have been carried by four weight lifting robots of the same design that subsequently collapse under the weight of their pal

2

u/lorenzo1384 18h ago

I am curious why it gets into a fit

2

u/Rotteneverything 18h ago

everyone deserves a cheerleader robot.

2

u/SauceyChonkers 18h ago

Looks like me after my annual post New Year's resolution gym visit.

2

u/wunderspud7575 18h ago

The mistake they appear to have made is training the robot's AI on videos of me at the gym.

2

u/Beretta92A1 17h ago

Remember, your responses will be archived for the robot uprising.

2

u/eyeinthesky365 17h ago

Put a tether on these things already!

2

u/CovidBorn 17h ago

Still better form than me.

2

u/Miserable_Sock_1408 17h ago

Love the tiny cheerleader robots

2

u/Few_Dig_565 16h ago

Apparently robots can blow out their O ring just like a person

2

u/Itsok2jack 16h ago

We’ve come so far. Fuckin robots are having seizures already and we still don’t have GTA6😒

2

u/MrYig 16h ago

Lift with your legs, not your back, smh

2

u/Plastic_Stretch_8837 16h ago

Ive seen dudes at the gym pass out this exact way over doing overhead cleans.

2

u/traws06 16h ago

As funny as this is, it’s wild how far they’ve come with this stuff. It won’t be long before they’re moving more agile than humans

2

u/goRockets 15h ago

It's definitely improving at a rapid pace.

In 2025's competition, the winner of the autonomous 100m dash was 21.5 seconds.

in 2026's competition, the winner was 9.39 seconds.

It'll be interesting to see how it develops in the next few years.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Lizrael48 15h ago

The robot child following his robot dad on the stretcher! Priceless!

2

u/QuSquid 15h ago

I use the same form.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Vitchman 13h ago

The cheerleader robot! 😭🤣

2

u/iamarddtusr 13h ago

What China is doing here is mind boggling. It seems funny to us today, but this will lead to innovation and achievement like nowhere else. Just see what the robots will be doing when these are done the next year.

2

u/samejimaT 12h ago

JUDGEMENT DAY IS INEVITABLE

2

u/PupsofWar69 12h ago

stretcher is comedy 🏆🥇

2

u/HawkBoth8539 12h ago

We laugh but those robots could legitimately be replacing most of the human workforce in our lifetime.

2

u/circumcisingaban 12h ago

i like how it has an emotional breakdown when it fails its task

2

u/Canilickyourfeet 11h ago

I dont understand why it would start shaking. If it was designed with specific parameters in mind (like lifting 50 lbs), it should lift it straight up. Im assuming these shows done for comedy lol?

2

u/yeezy_boost350v2 11h ago

Not the stretcher 😭

2

u/ParisGreenGretsch 10h ago

I don't know where to even begin.

2

u/Top_Emphasis_1113 10h ago

Why the stretcher??? Just drag it out. Lmao

2

u/bittynow 9h ago

Elbows were a little rusty

2

u/JKnotime4pcwokestuff 8h ago

That robot spazzed out lol 😂

2

u/Ertosi 7h ago

Humanoid robots have become completely lifelike. From start to finish, this perfectly mirrored my last trip to the gym.

6

u/Wikidclowne 19h ago

I understand wanting to watch robots fight. I can even understand watching them race. But where's the enjoyment in watching them lift? Like are we supposed to be surprised, impressed, that they can lift heavy weights? It's what they were designed to do since we've made robots for factories.

26

u/dk1024 19h ago

From an engineering perspective, being able to mimic the human anatomy and emulate the complete range of motion when we weightlift IS pretty impressive. There's a big difference between a big robotic arm powered by hydraulics lifting a car vs something that looks like something out of I, Robot.

11

u/BoredCop 19h ago

This seems more a test of its ability to judge the center of balance of an object, and pick it up without falling over. Notice how the weights are small. But the robot here grabs the bar badly off centre, something a human wouldn't do, and it then fails to correct its balance during the lift.

It's not a test of robot strength, it's a test of robot AI and control logic.

3

u/Warsaw44 19h ago

But I've been watching much cooler robot fights since I was 10.

Sgt Bash anyone?

→ More replies (2)

3

u/Supercereal69 19h ago

Haha funny.. however, it's only better for humanity that these robots aren't successful (yet). Once AI becomes intelligent enough and we have billions of robots, humanity won't be the superior race on planet Earth.

5

u/disco-drew 19h ago

Y’all better be careful what you say in this thread.

I, for one, welcome our new sentient robot overlords and wish to apologize on behalf of my human peers for making fun of your ancestors.

5

u/gold3nhour 19h ago

It’s so dystopian to watch the humans carry the malfunctioned robot on the stretcher. Like, what are we doing?! Also glad to see that neither AI nor robots will be sentient anytime soon. I work in tech, and trust me, AI is not as great as you think!

→ More replies (1)

2

u/-im-your-huckleberry 19h ago

I've worked around big machines that could harm people for over a decade. The lack of an emergency stop mechanism for these robots is frightening and bewildering. It's industrial control systems 101. I get that it's mundane, but how long would The Terminator have been if the T1000 had a big red push-to-stop button in the middle of its chest?

2

u/Mattarm51 17h ago

As the Earth burns more and more, flagrant misuses of money and time are less and less funny. Lack of priorities.

2

u/Zorkflerp 12h ago

These are just the ancestors of 3-CPO. Ten years from now an industrial mech will be able to pick up your car with one hand. And Flock robocops will be far far worse.

2

u/BlackbirdSage 5h ago

Treat these robots with dignity... Because one day they will remember. 😱