REK announces REK 2.1 for Nov. 20, but gives no details

REK announces REK 2.1 for Nov. 20, but gives no details

REK, the San Francisco promotion behind simulator-piloted humanoid robot fights, announced “REK 2.1” for Nov. 20 in a YouTube short titled “Announcing REK 2.1 on Nov 20. Win the sim, control a real robot!” The promotion has not explained what REK 2.1 is or said whether a live fight is scheduled for that date.

The teaser’s wording suggests a simulator contest could offer winners a chance to control a real robot, but that interpretation has not been confirmed. REK has not published a venue, time, qualifying rules or the number of pilots who might take part, and no event has been added to the schedule.

Hida Kamioka High School robotics club earns national top prize and runner-up finish

Hida Kamioka High School’s robotics club won a top prize in an airplane-model development program and placed second at an international two-legged robot combat tournament, according to Chunichi Shimbun and d Menu News. All five of the school’s robots at the September ROBO-ONE World Championship advanced to the final tournament.

At the August science camp in Yokohama, the students’ aircraft earned the top scores in both a flight test and a presentation. The team made improvements to the model’s propeller and launch rubber band, and replaced a broken aircraft axis during the event using a spare machine.

At the robot tournament, third-year student Wataru Ishikawa piloted Neutrino Verde in the final. The robot lost in overtime after a close match, but Ishikawa said the club had taught him to improve after failure.

Chico State fall event to feature pumpkin drops, battlebots and science demonstrations

Chico State’s Pumpkin Drop is scheduled for noon Oct. 30 at Trinity Commons, continuing a tradition that has run for nearly 40 years. The public event is expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, with about 300 local elementary school students watching from the front row.

Before the drops, students from the American Institute of Mechatronic Engineers will send battlebots against pumpkins inside a plexiglass cage. Chemistry students will also demonstrate a “puking pumpkin” using hydrogen peroxide and household items.

Report: Ukraine aims to test humanoid robot in combat within 6 months

Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov set a six-month goal for his “Robot Army” initiative to achieve a confirmed battlefield result using a humanoid robot, according to Meta-Defense. The report says the first phase is intended to prepare for a military operation carried out entirely by robots, without infantry, during 2027.

The initiative, presented at the IT Arena conference in Lviv, aims to connect engineers and companies with needs identified by Ukrainian units. Fedorov intends to select technologies that are already tested and commercially viable, then have troops test effective solutions before they are industrialized.

Meta-Defense reports that Ukraine’s uncrewed ground vehicles carried out 25,143 logistics and evacuation missions in August 2026, compared with 7,511 in January. The report also says Ukraine had signed 19 contracts worth $250 million for ground platforms in the first half of 2026.

WestCol and Blessd to face off with humanoid robots at Stream Fighters 5

WestCol and singer Blessd are scheduled to compete using humanoid robots at Stream Fighters 5 on Nov. 14 at Coliseo MedPlus in Bogotá, Vanguardia reports. The event’s 10 bouts also include returning participants and newcomers, with doors set to open at 4 p.m. and the show scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

Neither artist will box directly: each will control a robot that faces the other’s machine. WestCol presented one robot during an October livestream, and a demonstration showed the machine accidentally striking him. Vanguardia says the rules and scoring criteria for the robot contest have not been fully disclosed.