University team compete in robot football contest

A group of students and professors from the University of Hertfordshire have traveled to Salvador, Brazil, to participate in RoboCup 2025, a major international competition where teams from around the world compete with autonomous robots in football matches. The main goal of RoboCup is to develop humanoid robots that can one day defeat the human FIFA World Cup champions in a fair match by the year 2050. The Hertfordshire team, made up of seven members including Professor Daniel Polani, is excited to be part of this global event. They posed for a photo on a small football pitch inside a large arena, with some team members holding their robots and football goals visible in the background.

Professor Polani, who specializes in artificial intelligence, explained that the robots are still far from matching the skills of famous footballers like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. He said, 'Running is a very difficult task for robots, so at this stage, we are happy if they can walk without falling down. ' RoboCup, which began in 1997, has become a key event for researchers in AI and robotics to test and improve their creations. This year, the competition features 250 teams from 37 countries, making it one of the largest gatherings of its kind.

The robots used in the competition are designed to look like humans and are not allowed to use any tools or features that humans do not have. According to Professor Polani, the robots communicate with each other using colored breastplates, and they operate independently without any remote control from humans. The only human intervention is the whistle that signals the start and stop of the game. Professor Polani emphasized that the challenge is not just about kicking the ball but also about staying balanced and working together with 21 other robots on the field. RoboCup is often called the world's largest robotics and artificial intelligence competition. The University of Hertfordshire first joined RoboCup in 2002, believing that this competition represents the future of robotics. Professor Polani mentioned that the French and Japanese teams are strong competitors, but he does not expect them to win this year. RoboCup 2025 is taking place from July 17 to July 21, alongside other events where robots are tested in rescue missions and household tasks. Organizers expect around 150,000 spectators, and the matches are being livestreamed on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.