Latest news with #BoosterRobotics
Express Tribune
05-08-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
China's robo-athletes ready for world
On a soccer pitch in Beijing, "T1" is practising shots and taking up positions. T1 is no ordinary player, however, but a gold medal-winning humanoid robot training for the first World Humanoid Robot Games, taking place in Beijing from August 15. T1 is part of a race to take the lead in humanoid robotics, as China looks to become more self-sufficient in advanced technologies. The Games will bring together teams from more than 20 countries for events ranging from track and field to dance and martial arts, as well as practical applications such as industrial handling and medical services. T1 and its two teammates, fielded by Tsinghua University's Hephaestus team, made history for China last month by winning gold in the "Humanoid, adult size" category of the 28-year-old RoboCup Humanoid League in Brazil. "The Chinese government is actively promoting humanoid robot development," said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics, maker of the T1. "To advance technology, the government is actively organising competitive events, and this sports games is one such experience." While some may dismiss such events as gimmicks, industry experts and participants see them as a decisive spur to advance humanoid robots toward practical real-world deployment. Although the Hephaestus team would hardly trouble even junior human opposition, Booster Robotics views soccer as a powerful test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be applied in factories or homes. "Playing football is a testing and training ground for ... helping us refine our capabilities," Zhao said. And just as in real life, moving on from the training ground is often a challenge. Hephaestus is building on software developed for Brazil to improve the players' positioning skills.
Kyodo News
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
China offers media preview of robot games to be held in mid-Aug.
BEIJING - China on Monday held a media preview for the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Sports Games, set to take place in Beijing in mid-August, with the robots competing with each other or practicing with human players at football venues. Five humanoid robots, each from Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University in Beijing, took part in a football training session at the National Speed Skating Oval, a venue from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The artificial intelligence-powered robots were fully autonomous, able to get back on their feet after being knocked down while chasing the ball. All were developed by Booster Robotics, a Beijing-based startup. Yang Shaoshuai of the China Agricultural University team told reporters he believes the humanoids' current football skills are "probably comparable to those of a 5- to 6-year-old child," but said they are developing "very rapidly." Other robotic football demonstrations at the Beijing venue featured teams from the Netherlands and Portugal. The World Humanoid Robot Sports Games will include around 20 events, including track and field, gymnastics and dance. Zhao Dongwei of the Beijing robot games organizing committee said the United States will be among the countries taking part in the competition, adding that the event aims to "accelerate international cooperation" in the field of robotics. China has been eager to promote the development of cutting-edge products, including humanoid robots, amid its intensifying tech rivalry with the United States.
Malay Mail
02-08-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
Man of the match? Try machine: China's T1 takes the pitch for robot world cup
BEIJING, Aug 3 — On a football pitch in Beijing, 'T1' is practising shots and taking up positions. T1 is no ordinary player, however, but a gold medal-winning humanoid robot training for the first World Humanoid Robot Games, taking place in Beijing from August 15. T1 is part of a race to take the lead in humanoid robotics, as China looks to become more self-sufficient in advanced technologies. The Games will bring together teams from more than 20 countries for events ranging from track and field to dance and martial arts, as well as practical applications such as industrial handling and medical services. Chen Penghui, a member of Tsinghua University's Hephaestus team, works on a computer next to T1 humanoid robots developed by Booster Robotics, at a football pitch in preparation for competitions at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing August 1, 2025. — Reuters pic T1 and its two teammates, fielded by Tsinghua University's Hephaestus team, made history for China last month by winning gold in the 'Humanoid, adult size' category of the 28-year-old RoboCup Humanoid League in Brazil. 'The Chinese government is actively promoting humanoid robot development,' said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics, maker of the T1. 'To advance technology, the government is actively organising competitive events, and this sports games is one such experience.' While some may dismiss such events as gimmicks, industry experts and participants see them as a decisive spur to advance humanoid robots toward practical real-world deployment. A T1 humanoid robot developed by Booster Robotics falls on a football pitch, during a practice in preparation for football competitions at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing August 1, 2025. — Reuters pic Although the Hephaestus team would hardly trouble even junior human opposition, Booster Robotics views football as a powerful test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be applied in factories or homes. 'Playing football is a testing and training ground for ... helping us refine our capabilities,' Zhao said. And just as in real life, moving on from the training ground is often a challenge. T1 humanoid robots developed by Booster Robotics in action while surrounded by school children on a football pitch, during a practice in preparation for football competitions at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing August 1, 2025. — Reuters pic Hephaestus is building on software developed for Brazil to improve the players' positioning skills. But the performance of humanoid robots still depends to a great extent on environmental variables such as the surface and hardness of the ground and the gradient of any slopes, according to Hephaestus's Chen Penghui. It wouldn't be the first time a football team had visited a new venue and bemoaned the state of the pitch. — Reuters
New Straits Times
02-08-2025
- Science
- New Straits Times
Chinese soccer team train for inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games
BEIJING: On a soccer pitch in Beijing, "T1" is practising shots and taking up positions. T1 is no ordinary player, however, but a gold medal-winning humanoid robot training for the first World Humanoid Robot Games, taking place in Beijing from August 15. T1 is part of a race to take the lead in humanoid robotics, as China looks to become more self-sufficient in advanced technologies. The Games will bring together teams from more than 20 countries for events ranging from track and field to dance and martial arts, as well as practical applications such as industrial handling and medical services. T1 and its two teammates, fielded by Tsinghua University's Hephaestus team, made history for China last month by winning gold in the "Humanoid, adult size" category of the 28-year-old RoboCup Humanoid League in Brazil. "The Chinese government is actively promoting humanoid robot development," said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics, maker of the T1. "To advance technology, the government is actively organising competitive events, and this sports games is one such experience." While some may dismiss such events as gimmicks, industry experts and participants see them as a decisive spur to advance humanoid robots toward practical real-world deployment. Although the Hephaestus team would hardly trouble even junior human opposition, Booster Robotics views soccer as a powerful test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be applied in factories or homes. "Playing football is a testing and training ground for ... helping us refine our capabilities," Zhao said. And just as in real life, moving on from the training ground is often a challenge. Hephaestus is building on software developed for Brazil to improve the players' positioning skills. But the performance of humanoid robots still depends to a great extent on environmental variables such as the surface and hardness of the ground and the gradient of any slopes, according to Hephaestus's Chen Penghui. It wouldn't be the first time a soccer team had visited a new venue and bemoaned the state of the pitch. — REUTERS
Reuters
01-08-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Chinese soccer team train for inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games
BEIJING, Aug 1 (Reuters) - On a soccer pitch in Beijing, "T1" is practising shots and taking up positions. T1 is no ordinary player, however, but a gold medal-winning humanoid robot training for the first World Humanoid Robot Games, taking place in Beijing from August 15. T1 is part of a race to take the lead in humanoid robotics, as China looks to become more self-sufficient in advanced technologies. The Games will bring together teams from more than 20 countries for events ranging from track and field to dance and martial arts, as well as practical applications such as industrial handling and medical services. T1 and its two teammates, fielded by Tsinghua University's Hephaestus team, made history for China last month by winning gold in the "Humanoid, adult size" category of the 28-year-old RoboCup Humanoid League in Brazil. "The Chinese government is actively promoting humanoid robot development," said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics, maker of the T1. "To advance technology, the government is actively organising competitive events, and this sports games is one such experience." While some may dismiss such events as gimmicks, industry experts and participants see them as a decisive spur to advance humanoid robots toward practical real-world deployment. Although the Hephaestus team would hardly trouble even junior human opposition, Booster Robotics views soccer as a powerful test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be applied in factories or homes. "Playing football is a testing and training ground for ... helping us refine our capabilities," Zhao said. And just as in real life, moving on from the training ground is often a challenge. Hephaestus is building on software developed for Brazil to improve the players' positioning skills. But the performance of humanoid robots still depends to a great extent on environmental variables such as the surface and hardness of the ground and the gradient of any slopes, according to Hephaestus's Chen Penghui. It wouldn't be the first time a soccer team had visited a new venue and bemoaned the state of the pitch.
