Latest news with #ChengHao
The Star
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
China's science tech sector maturing rapidly amid incentives
Industrial humanoid robots are presented at an industrial park in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on June 18, 2025. (PHOTO / XINHUA) BEIJING: From clinching a sweeping 9-0 victory at the RoboCup German Open in March to gearing up for the RoboCup 2025 in Salvador, Brazil, in July, a Chinese humanoid robot soccer team has been capturing global attention. At the heart of this excitement is the T1 robot, developed by Beijing-based humanoid robotics startup Booster Robotics, which is breaking new ground in performance and design. Standing 1.2m tall and weighing 30kg, the T1 robot's kicking and goal-keeping movements have been significantly upgraded. It is now capable of delivering powerful shots, executing free kicks and performing fluid, human-like motions. Cheng Hao, founder and chief executive officer of Booster Robotics, said the T1 model was specifically designed for developers with an emphasis on being lightweight, agile and exceptionally durable. 'For example, the robot can withstand hundreds of falls and still function without issue. 'To exaggerate a little, it can survive a rock-breaking stunt on its chest and stand up within a second,' Cheng said. The technical resilience and adaptability have helped the high-tech startup expand its market presence well beyond China. The company has already delivered hundreds of humanoid robots to customers worldwide, including in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. Behind this impressive performance lies a broader story of patient capital and strategic financial support for the country's rapidly maturing robotics industry. Earlier this month, Booster Robotics completed its series A funding round. Cheng said the funds would be mainly used to accelerate product iteration, improve manufacturing processes and scale up production to meet growing market demand. 'The Beijing municipal government has also provided great support in terms of equity investment and major project funding, which has helped the company achieve technical and production breakthroughs in a short time,' Cheng added. — China Daily/ANN
News18
02-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
China's Robot Football League Is Straight Out Of A Sci-Fi Film
Last Updated: The viral video shows a couple of humanoid robots playing soccer, while some struggle to kick balls and hold ground. In an unusual turn of events, China has hosted its first 3v3 AI robot soccer match, with four teams of humanoid robots taking on each other in Beijing. Videos of the match have been going viral on social media, showing glimpses from the ROBO League robot soccer tournament. As per reports, the match was organised as a part of the testing ground for the upcoming 2025 World Humanoid Robot Sports Games. The robots, which were solely driven by AI technology, did not have any human pilots. The video of the humanoid soccer game shows the robots struggling to kick the ball or stand straight while also suffering falls that could easily earn their counterparts a yellow card for diving. In one of the videos, at least two robots were taken away for failing to regain their feet after hitting the ground. soccer tournament in Beijing with fully autonomous robots — Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 2, 2025 It won't be wrong to say that while China's men's football team hasn't generated much excitement in recent times, the humanoid robot teams have won over fans in Beijing, both offline and online. One wrote, 'This is the funniest clip I've seen today," while another added, 'That sounds fascinating! I bet the technology is impressive." 'This groundbreaking event has garnered significant attention, highlighting China's leadership in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence," another comment read. On the contrary, not everyone seems to be impressed with such technological advancements. One of them commented, 'As machines become more and more advanced, some things are best left to be done by humans. This is a disgrace to the beautiful game." Speaking about the same, Cheng Hao, the founder and chief executive of Booster Robotics, the company that supplied the humanoid players, explained that the competitions offer the ideal testing ground. 'In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe," he added as per The Guardian. The particular soccer game was held in China's capital on Saturday night. The event is being touted as a first for China and a preview for the Games. The competition was fought between university teams, which had adapted the robots with their algorithms.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Cheng Hao's AI robot football sparks revolutionary shift in sports with historic Beijing match
On Saturday June 29, 2025, history was made in Beijing, China. This was not just any ordinary football match as there were no humans involved. Four teams of AI humanoid robots were competing for the first time in a three-a-side football tournament. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This competitive appearance was vital for the robots' sports capability and moreover it gave the world knowledge that sport is changing and AI is having an influence. However, things did look futuristic and moving in that direction, the match did demonstrate how far robots have to go. How Cheng Hao's AI robots made football history in Beijing despite struggles Booster Robotics, a tech firm run by Cheng Hao, organized an AI robotic football match in a stadium in Beijing, China. The teams were humanoid robots developed by university students. Each team controlled the robots using their own software in order for the robots to move, pass, and kick a ball. While the idea was exciting, the match had many funny moments. The robots fell down often, missed easy kicks, and even needed help standing up again. Some robots were removed from the match after failing to get back on their feet. Still, Cheng Hao saw it as a big step forward. He said, 'In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe.' Tsinghua University's AI robots claim world's first robot football championship The final AI robot football match was played between Tsinghua University's THU Robotics team and China Agricultural University's Mountain Sea team. The exciting final ended with a 5–3 victory for Tsinghua, who became the first robot football champions. A student from the winning side said, 'They did really well, but the Mountain Sea team also gave us a surprise.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Subramanian Ramamoorthy , a professor at the University of Edinburgh, said that the robots were as good as the robots being demonstrated at the RoboCup competitions, and they were getting better each year. The demonstration confirmed that robots are in no position to replace human players similar to Kylian Mbappe, but getting better each game. The mix of AI, football, and robotics is now a real thing, and it's just getting started.
Canada News.Net
01-07-2025
- Science
- Canada News.Net
Robot soccer thrills China as humanoids outperform national team
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not for their athletic prowess. In Beijing, four university teams sent AI-powered robots onto the soccer pitch over the weekend in a fast-paced 3-on-3 tournament that delighted crowds and marked a first in China. The fully autonomous matches—with no human control or intervention—offered a glimpse of what the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing might look like. According to organizers, each robot operated independently using advanced AI strategies, making real-time decisions on movement, passing, and positioning. Equipped with high-tech visual sensors, the robots were able to identify the ball, navigate the field, and even recover after falls. Still, not all could stay upright—several had to be carried off on stretchers, a moment that drew both laughter and admiration from the audience. The tournament reflects China's broader push to develop AI-powered humanoid robots, using sports as a proving ground. From boxing to marathons to soccer, competitions are being designed to test real-world applications of robotics in dynamic environments. Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics — which provided the robot hardware — said sports offer the ideal pressure test for both hardware and 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." All four university teams used the same Booster robot models, but each developed its own algorithms for perception, strategy, and passing. Cheng explained that schools program variables like speed, force, and direction to give their teams a competitive edge. In the final match, Tsinghua University's THU Robotics defeated China Agricultural University's Mountain Sea team 5–3, winning the inaugural championship. "They (THU) did really well," said Mr. Wu, a Tsinghua supporter who attended the event. "But the Mountain Sea team (of Agricultural University) was also impressive. They brought a lot of surprises." The event stood in sharp contrast to the fortunes of China's actual men's national team, which has only qualified once for the World Cup and has already been eliminated from the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Watch: Chinese robots stretchered off during failed AI football match
Chinese robots had to be stretchered off the pitch as the world's first AI football tournament descended into farce on Saturday. Four teams of humanoid robots powered entirely by artificial intelligence were pitted against each other for a series of three-a-side matches in Beijing, in what was touted as a preview of the city's World Humanoid Robot Sports Games in August. They were equipped with advanced visual sensors designed to identify the ball, navigate the pitch, tackle opponents and score goals. However, footage showed the robots clumsily bumping into each other, struggling to kick the ball and repeatedly falling over. On two occasions, human assistants were seen rushing onto the pitch to carry off robots that had gone to the ground and were unable to get up. The 4ft tall robots were provided by Booster Robotics and cost $29,800 to $49,000 each, depending on specifications. Cheng Hao, the CEO, said the event was an ideal testing ground for his machines, and that robots could even play against humans in the future. 'In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe,' Mr 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.'
