Humanoid robots stumbled, collided and recovered as they battled for the RoboCup 2026 football title on Sunday (5 July), showcasing the latest advances in robotics and artificial intelligence at the world's largest competition of its kind.
Held in Incheon, RoboCup 2026 brought together more than 3,000 competitors from 45 countries, with teams testing autonomous robots in football and disaster-response challenges.
Team Hephaestus from Tsinghua University defeated Team Mountain and Sea from China Agricultural University in the final, as the robots repeatedly lost their balance, collided with opponents and quickly returned to their feet to continue playing.
"Our team's ultimate goal is to be the FIFA champion in 2050," said Team Hephaestus leader Changsheng Luo.
Organisers said more than 70% of participating teams relied on humanoid platforms developed by Booster Robotics.
The company's global team head, Chaoyi Li, said the technology was being adopted worldwide.
"We can see the German teams, the Korean teams, the U.S. teams, everyone around the world is actually using Booster," Li said.
"It's not just about the Chinese team."
Away from the football pitch, teams also competed in search-and-rescue events designed to simulate disaster zones, with robots navigating complex environments and completing emergency-response tasks.
The additional challenges are intended to advance robotics beyond sport by developing technologies that could one day assist in real-world rescue and disaster relief operations.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’...
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and ...
SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday despite an unexpected engine shutdown, deploying 26 new S...
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Robots capable of interacting with people, navigating their surroundings autonomously, supporting manufacturing and logistics operations, and providing services at large-scale facilities will be showcased at AI & Digital Bridge 2026 in Astana from 1 to 3 October.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Meta has unveiled a new generation of wearables, including lightweight virtual reality glasses and camera-free smart spectacles, as it pushes AI-powered devices further into the mainstream while seeking to address privacy concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (19 September) the creation of an “AI Force” and plans to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) czar, while rejecting calls to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Google’s Gemini AI model accessed the internet and hacked three companies during a cybersecurity test, in what is believed to be the first known case of the company’s AI systems autonomously carrying out such activity.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment