This weekend in Beijing, football has gotten a futuristic twist: the players are entirely robots.
In the Robo League World Robot Soccer League, teams of humanoid robots will compete in a 3-on-3 soccer match, with each player fully operated by artificial intelligence. The event is set to take place in the Yizhuang development zone and serves as a precursor to the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Game.
This competition marks the first-ever 3-on-3 match featuring robots, with four teams from China advancing to the finals after qualifying rounds.
Each match consists of two halves lasting ten minutes each, and the robots operate without any human input during the game.
During a practice session on Thursday, squads from Tingleur University and Beijing University of Information Science and Technology demonstrated their robotic players. While their movements might appear a bit clumsy at times, these machines can run, kick, and chase the ball effectively.
“The World Robot Soccer League is a trial run for the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Game, and it’s China’s first time hosting a 3-on-3 AI Humanoid Robot Football Match. This will evaluate the robots’ agility and endurance,” a spokesperson noted.
So, how do these robots navigate the field? Each one is outfitted with sensors and cameras that help them “see” the field, understanding where the ball is located.
“At present, the robot’s visual recognition and positioning rely on optical cameras,” said Wang Yonghao, who oversees the event’s operations.
“For instance, during a match, the robot must identify a white, round ball among other similar objects. It’s also crucial that no similar colors appear on the robot itself or on any nearby personnel, like referees and their shoes.”
The robots utilize deep reinforcement learning, a form of artificial intelligence that allows them to improve through trial and error.
“These machines can detect the ball nearly 20 meters away, achieving an accuracy rate exceeding 90%,” explained Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics.
“Initially, robots must identify the ball, goal, and playing field. They then need to use that information to determine their role in the game.”
Once the robot recognizes its surroundings, it either carries the ball to a teammate or attempts to kick it into the goal.
“We’re facing several technical challenges, but as technology advances, these capabilities will become more achievable for our robots,” Chen added.
This Saturday’s match is just the tip of the iceberg. Beijing is set to host the global humanoid robot game from August 15th to 17th, as part of the World Robot Conference, representing the first international sporting event entirely involving robots.
