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Four humanoid robots teams competed in fully autonomous 3-on-3 soccer matches Saturday night in Beijing—an event hailed as a first in China and a preview of the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games.
AI-Powered Autonomy On The Field
Organizers highlighted that the robots operated entirely without human input, relying on AI to make strategic decisions in real time. Outfitted with advanced visual sensors, the robots could track the ball and move across the field with agility.
Though designed to self-right after falling, several robots had to be stretchered off by staff during the match—adding a touch of realism to the spectacle.
China is intensifying its push to advance AI-driven humanoid robots by using sports events—such as marathons, boxing, and football—as practical testing environments.
Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics, which provided the robot athletes, said these competitions serve as perfect trial grounds, speeding up progress in both algorithm development and hardware-software integration.
He also highlighted that safety is a fundamental priority when deploying humanoid robots.
In the future, humans might play football with robots, so we must ensure the robots are completely safe, Cheng explained. “For example, organizers could design a match that doesn’t prioritize winning but still features real offensive and defensive plays. This would help audiences feel confident and recognize that robots can interact safely.”
Unified Hardware, Custom AI Strategies
Booster Robotics supplied the hardware for all four university teams, while each school’s research group programmed their own AI systems for perception, decision-making, formations, and passing tactics—factoring in speed, force, and direction, Cheng noted.
In the final game, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics triumphed over China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a 5–3 victory to claim the championship.
Mr. Wu, a Tsinghua supporter, cheered the team’s win while commending the overall event.
“THU performed excellently,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team from the Agricultural University was also remarkable—they delivered some unexpected moments.”
China’s men’s national soccer team has only qualified for the World Cup once and has already failed to secure a spot in next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
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