04-08-2025
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.
