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.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Sunday as Iran held funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family on the secon...
Humanoid robots stumbled, collided and recovered as they battled for the RoboCup 2026 football title on Sunday (5 July), showcasing the latest advance...
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed crowds on Washington's National Mall on Saturday night after severe weather delayed his appearance at celebratio...
New details have emerged from the closely guarded wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who married on Friday (3 July) in an intimate garden speci...
Juan Zapata was just finishing dinner in his fifth-floor apartment overlooking the Caribbean when the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela’s coast on t...
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed crowds on Washington's National Mall on Saturday night after severe weather delayed his appearance at celebrations marking the United States' 250th independence anniversary.
New details have emerged from the closely guarded wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who married on Friday (3 July) in an intimate garden specially constructed inside Madison Square Garden in New York.
Juan Zapata was just finishing dinner in his fifth-floor apartment overlooking the Caribbean when the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela’s coast on the 24 June, hurling him across the room and into a collapse of concrete and steel.
Uzbekistan is seeking to expand export and import cargo transportation through Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti as part of efforts to diversify trade routes and strengthen regional connectivity, the Ministry of Transport said.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Governments are tightening restrictions on teenagers’ use of social media amid growing concerns over mental health, online safety and platform design, but questions remain over enforcement and whether bans can meaningfully change behaviour.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Sunday as Iran held funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family on the second day of mass processions. Three of Khamenei's sons attended the ceremony, while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, made no public appearance.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Humanity’s return to the Moon is about far more than planting flags and collecting samples. Under NASA’s Artemis programme, the goal is to establish a lasting human presence, with lunar rovers set to play a vital role in making that vision possible.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet specific safety standards.
NASA has named three American astronauts and one Italian astronaut to fly on its Artemis III mission, a major orbital test planned for late next year that will evaluate lunar landing vehicles developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment