//SECTION_Manifesto
Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to code and screens - it’s becoming a body that lives in the physical world, feels contact, makes decisions, and has consequences. Human and machine symbiosis is near, and we can’t wait for that future to happen.
So we created UFB - the first humanoid robot fighting league.
But UFB is more than a competition. It’s a visceral connection between human and machine - a real-world testbed where embodied AI is shaped by interaction, consequence, and pressure.
And the very same capabilities critical in the arena are the ones robots will need in the real world - to save human lives in disaster zones, navigate unpredictable environments, or move alongside people in physical space.
Is simulation not enough?
Training robots in simulated environments is common and useful. But machines can’t learn in simulation alone because the real world is infinitely more complex than any simulation we can create. They need to move, collide, adapt - in a place where failure is welcome not avoided.
Robots are here to learn now.
In UFB, robots meet people and other robots. Not static tests. Not scripted behaviors. Real interaction reveals the edge cases, the adaptations, the emergent strategies that only show up in the unpredictable physical spaces.
And what about us, humans?
At the center is human–robot interaction itself: the feedback loop between pilot and machine. Drawing on ideas like Marvin Minsky’s Society of Mind, we know Intelligence isn’t born from isolated code - it emerges through interaction, response, and emotional feedback. In UFB, pilot stations capture human motion, voice and emotions so robots learn from humans - what we call emotional AI in the real world.
Why competition?
Because competition, when structured with clear rules and boundaries, has historically served as a conduit for human evolution, revealing how strength, strategy, and restraint emerge under pressure. UFB applies this framework to advance research in embodied AI systems and human–robot interaction.
Ethics matter.
Not as an afterthought. Not as a slogan. But through rules, transparency, and accountability. Autonomy is allowed, but responsibility stays human. Every action is visible. Every consequence is measurable.
Our goal is to train agility, body dynamics, athleticism, and human–robot interaction - how machines move, balance, recover, and collaborate with people in the physical world.
The future of embodied artificial intelligence will be written through interaction.
We assembled a team of scientists and artists to turn robotics advancement into a cultural moment. The emergence of embodied AI will happen in public - through real machines, real constraints, and real human interaction. And we invite you to participate. The league provides compute, access to robots and guidance for the talented teams that want to try their most radical ideas to move robotics forward.
“I thought it’s just robots fighting”
I know. It’s what it looks like on the surface. Down deep, it’s the first way to experience human-machine symbiosis. What will things be like when we have BCI? Pretty wild, huh?
If you want to shape it - join us. Become part of our online community. Come to our events. Build your team. Program the robots. Or build one. Or tell their story. Teach them how to act. Become part of our league. Compete with other teams. Become a new hero.
Make something that people will care about. Otherwise why even do anything?
We are building the future of AI in a physical space.
Join the movement.
Xenia
UFB Commissioner
x@ufb.gg