Chinese humanoid robot scores goals in soccer test

A robot trained in simulation can track moving balls and shoot from different directions. In attempts he also scored against a human in the goal.

Beijing. A humanoid robot from China can use a special technique to score goals against a human goalkeeper. Using a new AI control, he tracks the ball with his camera, adjusts his steps directly and shoots from different positions. A Chinese research team reports this in the specialist magazine “Science Robotics”.

According to the researchers, football is a demanding test field because robots have to track a moving ball, maintain balance and quickly adapt their movements. In many previous systems, perception and movement control are separate. The new control closely combines both. The researchers first trained them in a computer simulation and then transferred them to the real robot.

The system was tested with the T1 from Chinese manufacturer Booster Robotics, which is approximately 1.20 meters tall and weighs 30 kilograms. “During interactive games against a human goalkeeper, the robot adjusted its movements, continuously tracked the ball and took shots,” the study says. “Occasionally it even overcame human defenses.” An exact number of hits or hit rate is not mentioned.

In another series of tests, the robot completed ten tests with the ball in 14 different places, for a total of 140. In the front area of ​​the field, it brought the ball into the goal in around 80 to 90 percent of the tests, and in the back area in 60 to 70 percent. There is no mention of a goalkeeper.

The new controller estimated the ball position more accurately than the immediate measurements from the camera system. The error decreased by 46 percent. The robot also needed up to 64 percent less time to fire than with a rule-based control system.

The Tsinghua Hephaestus team used the controller as part of their system in competitions. It won the large humanoid robot class at the RoboCup in 2025, as well as a soccer tournament at the World Games for Humanoid Robots in Beijing. According to the study, the team scored a total of 76 goals and conceded 11 in both competitions.

The controls are not yet sufficient for full team play. It does not take teammates or opponents into account and therefore cannot plan passes, defensive actions or joint moves.

Researchers from Tsinghua University, China Agricultural University and the AI ​​research unit Seed of TikTok parent company ByteDance were involved in the study. According to the authors, the technology could also make robots more independent and adaptable outside of football.