AI-Controlled Robots Compete in China’s First Humanoid Soccer League in Beijing
by Elijah Odetokun, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews · Legit.ng News · Join- China have made a groundbreaking innovation by launching the first humanoid soccer league
- The AI-controlled robots competed in a series of football matches and simulated real-life gameplays
- The humanoid soccer league is the first of many such innovations in sports, with others in the works
China have launched the first humanoid AI-controlled robot soccer league, taking a bold step in marrying robotics and sports entertainment.
The event, which was hosted on June 28, was a 3-on-3 AI robot football competition competed by four teams, and was a preparation for the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games.
According to House Bots, Booster Robotics, which supplied the robots, claimed that they have the physical coordination and tactical awareness of 5-6-year-old children.
“We chose the football scenario for robot competition primarily for two reasons: first, to encourage students to apply their algorithmic skills to real-world robotics,” the founder, Cheng Hao, said.
“Second, to showcase the robots' ability to walk autonomously and stably, withstand collisions, and demonstrate higher levels of intelligence and safety.”
Cheng added that the robots will improve in athleticism and intelligence with time, as they will graduate from kiddie leagues to adult human teams.
Robot will help industrial and everyday life - Yuangsong
The chairman of Shangyicheng Group, Bian Yuansong, who organised the event, confirmed that the RoBoLeague is a test event for more frontier technologies such as bipedal dynamic balancing and multi-agent collaborative decision-making.
“The technologies showcased during the competition will be rapidly translated into real-world applications, directly benefiting industrial production and everyday life," Bian said as quoted by People's Daily.
Bian added that they are working to develop a series of robot competitions in other sports, including a robot half-marathon and RoBoLeague, which is aimed at promoting the real-world application and development of humanoid robotics across diverse scenarios.
Fans on social media reacted to the development, with many asking if it would simulate real-life scenarios where some players are high performers and others are flops.
@kevin_smith45 wrote:
“How are they going to flop like all the other soccer players… and LeBron.”
@RealRyanDeanG wrote:
“They know how to flop just like real soccer players too!! The attention to detail is nice.”
@apatheus wrote:
“I don't remember much of being 5 or 6 years old, but I do know that I didn't just keep falling flat on my face whenever I tried to walk towards a ball.”
@CalvinIV wrote:
“Just wait 10 years. Major sports will be all robots. Teams will draft programmers and engineers rather than athletes. They'll have pit crews to lube and repair on the fly. Imagine an android in the NFL jumping 30 feet in the air to catch a pass, or in MLB a 250 mph fastball, or a dunk in the WNBA.”
Supercomputer predicted Chelsea to win
Legit.ng previously reported that a supercomputer predicted Chelsea to win the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Real Betis in Wroclaw, Poland, in May.
The AI-powered computer made 10,000 simulations and gave the Premier League club over 60% chance to win, which eventually happened in a comprehensive 4-1 win.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.