Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
From the boxing ring to the football pitch, robots are going head to head at this year's RoboCup Asia-Pacific (RCAP), showing off skills shaped by algorithms and AI innovations. For teams from the UAE and around the world, the tournament highlights not only technological excellence but also how far robotics have advanced over the years.
Hosted by Khalifa University of Science and Technology as part of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, the 8th RoboCup Asia-Pacific is taking place at ADNEC Abu Dhabi through November 15. The event has attracted over 700 participants from 22 countries, competing across eight leagues and 15 sub-leagues.
Rico Tilgner, Team Leader of the HTWK Leipzig from Germany, described RoboCup as a learning ground that offers real-world value.
"It is a test bed for robotic skills. If you want to have a robot in a factory or at home, it needs to move quickly, detect its situation, and play well with others - all skills can be learned here through football," Tilgner told Aletihad.
The event, he added, also turns the spotlight on the rapid transformation of robotic technology. "In the last two years, new motors have made robots much quicker, and with new processing power and AI, they can react faster and play more dynamic situations."
Themed "AI and Robotics for a Sustainable Future", RoboCup gathers more than 170 teams, including 10 UAE squads. Since it kicked off on Monday, the event has been drawing daily crowds of over 1,000 people, all eager to witness next-gen robots in action.
Saif Dhafer Alameri, a student from Khalifa University's Robotics Athletes (KURA), is determined to win gold with his team in the 3-a-side robotics football competition as they join for the second time.
As team lead, he added: "I am here to make sure that the algorithms that we are developing will give us an advantage," Alameri told Aletihad.
For the KURA team, the next mission is to conquer a 5-a-side competition as they enhance their locomotion algorithms.
Yaman Fuad Masad, who is also part of the team, said turning robots into star players requires "a lot of programming skills", in addition to solid teamwork.
"We programmed the robots to actually detect the ball and go towards it and do a lot of strategies like passing and dribbling."
Within the team, strong communication and a collaborative spirit is a must "because we have to make sure that each task is done correctly and effectively", Masad said.
While the robots at the league were developed as athletes, participants said all the coding and engineering skills involved in building them make the creators better innovators.
Masad said the experience bridges theory and practice. "We can use these learnings as part of our research because robotics will be the future. It can be applied in hospitals, manufacturing, and other autonomous applications," he said.
Prof. Biao Hu of China Agricultural University said it's just a matter of time before robots become a more common fixture in daily life.
"Humanoid robots will be helpers for us-to do some housework like cleaning or cooking. It needs time, but the time will come," said Hu, who is participating in the competition with his team from the university.
