Explore Stunning Photos of the Most Amazing and Outlandish Robots of 2025

The remarkable R1 humanoid robot, developed by Robbie Ant, a subsidiary of Ant Group, showcases the versatility of humanoid robots. With the ability to mimic human actions due to their similar appendages, R1 opens up possibilities across various job sectors.

Unlike traditional wheeled robots, the R1 achieves balance on two legs, thanks to its stable wheelbase and humanoid design from the waist up.

The R1 made a striking appearance at IFA 2025 in Berlin, demonstrating its cooking skills by preparing shrimp, albeit at a leisurely pace. Its creators envision potential applications for the R1 as a caregiver, nurse, or tour guide.

The bipedal Tiangong robot, built by a government-backed AI robotics innovation center, aimed high but faced challenges—tripping and falling during a 100-meter race at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.

Various events, including soccer and dance, took place, with Tiangong not the only robot to sustain injuries; another competitor withdrew from the 1500m race. As one robot lamented, “My head came off.”

In response to a ban on child jockeys in camel races, the Qatari government shifted to using robot jockeys in 2005. Initially, these robots were rudimentary, functioning with simple tools, but they have since evolved into more sophisticated devices.

The image shows a robot jockey at a race organized by the Qatar Camel Racing Organizing Committee in Al Shahaniya, just outside of Doha.

In April, an impressive 12,000 humans and 21 robots participated in the Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, marking the first event allowing both humans and robots to race together.

Six robots finished the race, with the Tiangong Ultra completing it in a remarkable 2 hours and 40 minutes, boasting the advantage of multiple battery sets, an opportunity not available to human competitors.

At the World Humanoid Robot Games, the first-ever kickboxing match between robots featured Unitree G1 robots. Though their movements were slow, their attempts at punches were more akin to gentle nudges than knockout blows. Despite frequently losing balance, these robots displayed agility and determination by promptly getting back up post-fall.

These tadpoles are actually cyborgs, implanted with electronic devices to monitor their neural development as they mature into frogs.

Research conducted by Jia Liu at Harvard University utilized a flexible material known as perfluoropolymer to create a soft mesh around an ultrathin conductor, which was applied to the brain precursor of Xenopus frogs (African clawed frog). As they matured, this mesh integrated seamlessly into the developing brain, enabling researchers to capture brain activity data.