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 open in Songdo, Incheon, on the 2nd of next month. Robot research teams from about 40 countries around the world will showcase their latest robotic technologies in categories including soccer, household chores, and disaster relief.

Reporter Song In-ho has the story.

[Reporter]

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

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

The robots not only move quickly by recognizing the ball like human players, but they are also capable of team play, such as assessing open spaces to execute passes, defense, and shooting strategies.

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

[Seung Jae-wook / Student, Department of Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Inha University: At first, even just walking or moving the head was difficult. After going through many trials and errors, we became able to move the neck naturally and perform more fluid movements, such as shooting based on visual information.]

The goal is to win the RoboCup, the world championship that kicks off 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 is the first time it is being held in South Korea.

[Jang Jun-woo / 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, it seems like that will be possible.]

The competition will feature robot technology contests in five categories, including not only soccer but also household, industrial, and disaster-response environments.

Incheon City plans to use this event as an opportunity to establish the city as an industrial hub for robotics and AI.

[Jo So-young / Head 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 will be held at the Songdo Convensia until the 6th of next month, is free to attend for both pre-registered and walk-in visitors.

(Video coverage: 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.