CEO of Chinese robotics company posts video of himself getting kicked by his robot in effort to combat skeptics

Core Insights - EngineAI's CEO Zhao Tongyang participated in a demonstration where the company's T800 robot kicked him, aiming to prove the robot's capabilities after skepticism about its previous video being CGI [1][2] - The demonstration video gained significant attention, with over 17,000 likes on Instagram, while the earlier video received over 42,000 likes [2] - EngineAI raised $180.69 million in December 2025, with plans for large-scale deployment of its products in 2026, focusing on human-robot coexistence [3] Company Developments - EngineAI's T800 robot was showcased in a video where it performed kicks, leading to public curiosity and skepticism regarding its operational capabilities [1][2] - The company aims to empower industrial upgrading through technological advancements and is focused on scenario-based verification for its products [3] Industry Context - Morgan Stanley projected that the humanoid robotics market could exceed $5 trillion by 2050, listing 25 companies expected to dominate the market, although EngineAI was not included [3] - Other companies, such as Tesla, are also developing humanoid robots, with their Optimus robot performing similar demonstrations, although many of these robots still rely on tele-operation [4][5]