At the RoboCup Humanoid League in Brazil on Monday, teams from the Chinese mainland dominated the adult size category, with Tsinghua Universitys Hephaestus edging out China Agricultural Universitys Mountain & Sea 5-3 in a nail-biting final. This victory marks the first time a team from the Chinese mainland has lifted the adult size title in the tournaments 28-year history.
The road to glory was built on a series of commanding performances. Powered by the domestically developed T1 humanoid robotspraised for their accelerated evolution designTsinghuas Hephaestus recorded clean-sheet victories of 16:0, 9:0 and 12:0 over UT Austin Villa (United States) during the group stage. Meanwhile, the Mountain & Sea squad secured a 9:0 semifinal win against the same U.S. contender, showcasing strong visual positioning, navigation and decision-making algorithms.
It wasnt just the adult size event where teams from the Chinese mainland shone. Tsinghuas TH-MOS robot finished as runner-up in the kid size category, highlighting the depth of talent and technology at home. Even international contenders, including Germanys Boosted HTWKkid size championsopted to compete with robots like the T1 and K1, a testament to the rising global influence of robots developed in the Chinese mainland.
These results reflect actual model training and decision-making by the robot, said Yang Shaoshuai, leader of the China Agricultural University team. Our 9-0 semifinal win came from solid preparation, but Hephaestus had an even more advanced algorithmthey earned the title.
Cheng Hao, founder of Booster Robotics and official hardware supplier for RoboCup, added: For the first time, a hardware platform from the Chinese mainland has become the go-to choice in a top-tier global competition. The Chinese mainlands robots have now become a core force on the world stage.
As robotics competitions heat up, the success of teams from the Chinese mainland at RoboCup underscores a shift in competitive dynamics. With developer-friendly platforms and cutting-edge AI, these squads are not just playingtheyre redefining the rules of engagement in humanoid soccer.
Reference(s):
Two Chinese teams sweep 1-2 in adult size at Robo Cup Humanoid League
cgtn.com
