The world’s first AI-powered football match was held on Saturday (June 28) where humanoid robots took to the field. This type of AI football match is the first of its kind in China and is considered part of the preparations for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, which will be held in Beijing. Teams from Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Information Science and Technology participated in the event.
In the match, teams of three robots wearing black and purple jerseys competed in a 3-on-3 game. The game was played in two 10-minute halves. The robots’ speed and decisions were controlled by their built-in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. The main goal of the match was not to demonstrate speed, but rather balance, quick reactions and AI-based decision-making. After scoring a goal, the robots raised their fists and celebrated. Chinese tech companies participated in the match, which is seen as a significant step in the development of machine autonomy.
The Tsinghua team, named ‘Vulcan’, won the robot football championship. Beijing Evening News also shared a video showing some moments from the match. The organizers said that the robots were fully autonomous, using AI-powered tactics without any human intervention. Equipped with advanced visual sensors, the robots were able to detect the ball and move quickly on the field. They could even stand up on their own after falling, although some robots had to be helped by staff to get them off the field, which made the game more realistic.
The robots were supplied by the company ‘Booster Robotics’. The company’s CEO Cheng Hao said, “Sports competitions create an ideal environment for testing humanoid robots, which helps improve algorithms and hardware-software integration.”
Source: Times of India