AI-Powered Robots Steal the Show in Beijing's Autonomous Soccer Match

BEIJING -- While China's men's soccer team hasn't generated much excitement in recent years, humanoid robot teams have won over fans in Beijing. The robots' AI technology has been more captivating than any athletic prowess shown.

Four teams of humanoid robots faced off in fully autonomous 3-on-3 soccer matches powered entirely by artificial intelligence on Saturday night in China's capital. This event, touted as a first in China, serves as a preview for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, set to take place in Beijing.

According to the organizers, a key aspect of the match was that all participating robots operated fully autonomously using AI-driven strategies without any human intervention or supervision. Equipped with advanced visual sensors, the robots were able to identify the ball and navigate the field with agility.

They were also designed to stand up on their own after falling. However, during the match, several robots still had to be carried off the field on stretchers by staff, adding to the realism of the experience.

China is stepping up efforts to develop AI-powered humanoid robots, using sports competitions like marathons, boxing, and football as a real-world proving ground. Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics, the company that supplied the robot players, said sports competitions offer the ideal testing ground for humanoid robots, helping to accelerate the development of both algorithms and integrated hardware-software systems.

"In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe," Cheng said. "For example, a robot and a human could play a match where winning doesn’t matter, but real offensive and defensive interactions take place. That would help audiences build trust and understand that robots are safe."

Booster Robotics provided the hardware for all four university teams, while each school’s research team developed and embedded their own algorithms for perception, decision-making, player formations, and passing strategies. These algorithms included variables such as speed, force, and direction, according to Cheng.

In the final match, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics defeated the China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a score of 5–3 to win the championship.

Mr. Wu, a supporter of Tsinghua, celebrated their victory while also praising the competition. "They (THU) did really well," he said. "But the Mountain Sea team (of Agricultural University) was also impressive. They brought a lot of surprises."

China's men have made only one World Cup appearance and have already been knocked out of next year’s competition in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The success of these AI-powered robots in Beijing highlights the potential for advanced technology to revolutionize sports and other fields. As China continues to push the boundaries of AI and robotics, the future looks promising for further innovations and applications.