Register
Institutional teams submit registration with faculty oversight and platform readiness plans.
One platform. One year. One arena.
The Challenge
What is Arena971?
Arena971 is a competitive research challenge in which eligible institutions train a Unitree G1 humanoid robot over approximately one year, then enter it in sanctioned boxing bouts against other participants. The goal is to accelerate progress in humanoid control, learning, and safe physical interaction — framed as sport, grounded in science.
The platform: Unitree G1
All competing robots use the Unitree G1 humanoid platform. Teams may develop custom software, learning pipelines, and permitted peripherals within the published rules. Hardware modifications outside the allowed list are prohibited.
How the year works
Train
A sustained development cycle covering locomotion, perception, policy learning, and safety.
Qualify
Technical checkpoints and safety reviews determine who advances to the arena.
Compete
Fight night: scored bouts under Arena971 rules with referee and medical/safety protocols.
What teams build
- Control and learning stacks for G1 locomotion and interaction
- Perception and state estimation suitable for a combat environment
- Safety monitors, kill-switch integration, and fail-safe behaviors
- A documented training methodology and technical report
Who can participate
Teams must be affiliated with a recognized university or research laboratory. Hobbyist and commercial fighter teams are not eligible for this edition. Each team requires a faculty advisor or principal investigator.