World's Largest Robot Competition to Kick Off in Songdo, Incheon Next Month

[Anchor]

The world's largest robot competition, where participants compete in artificial intelligence and robotics technology, will be held in Songdo, Incheon, starting on the 2nd of next month. Robot research teams from around 40 countries will showcase their latest robotic technologies in fields including soccer, household chores, and disaster relief.

Reporter Song In-ho has the story.

[Reporter]

As the match begins, a robot shoots toward the opponent's goal.

The robot performs feints in front of the ball to deceive the opponent and accurately executes a mid-range shot after recognizing the goalkeeper's position.

Not only can the robots recognize the ball and move quickly like human players, but they can also judge open space to execute team plays, including passing, defense, and shooting strategies.

This is the result of a joint research team consisting of professors and students from robotics-related departments at Inha University, who spent over a year developing algorithms and integrating artificial intelligence.

[Interview: Seung Jae-wook / Student, Department of Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Inha University: At first, even walking and moving the head were difficult. Through trial and error, we became able to move the neck naturally and perform movements like shooting based on visual information.]

The goal is to win the RoboCup, which opens in Songdo, Incheon, on the 2nd of next month.

It is the world's largest robot competition, with over 3,000 participants from 45 countries, and this marks the first time it is being held in South Korea.

[Interview: Shim In-ok / Professor, Department of Smart Mobility Engineering, Inha University: The competition started in Japan in 1997. The goal set back then was to play soccer against humans by 2050. Looking at it now, I think that will be possible.]

Beyond soccer, the competition will feature robot technology contests in five areas, including home, industrial, and disaster environments.

Incheon City plans to use this event as an opportunity to establish the city as a hub for the robot and AI industry.

[Interview: Jo So-young / Director of Semiconductor and Bio Division, Incheon City: Incheon is fostering the robot industry based on infrastructure such as the Cheongna Robot Land and robot demonstration facilities. With this competition, we will further strengthen cooperation with companies and research institutions.]

The RoboCup, which runs until the 6th of next month at Songdo Convensia, is open to the public with free admission through both pre-registration and on-site registration.

(Video reporting: Lim Dong-guk | Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu | Footage courtesy of Incheon City)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.