BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese-made humanoid robots competing for the ball on a soccer field immediately came to a halt when commanded to do so by 21-year-old Brazilian programmer Isabela Moura.
Moments earlier, the robots had been positioning themselves, tracking the ball and kicking autonomously, powered by algorithms developed by young Brazilian programmers and researchers.
For Moura, seeing her work drive Chinese humanoid robots on an international stage is both a validation of her programming skills and a reflection of her passion for robotics.
Moura is a member of Team Brazil, formed this year by young researchers from five Brazilian universities to compete in 5-on-5 humanoid robot soccer at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG) in Beijing, which brings together 666 teams from 16 countries.
Hailing from Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, Moura said her passion for humanoid robots was ignited when she joined RoboCIn, a robotics team at the Federal University of Pernambuco, about 18 months ago. In July, she made her first trip abroad to compete at RoboCup in the Republic of Korea before traveling to Beijing.
"It's a really great experience," she said, adding that the robots used by her team are made by Chinese company Booster Robotics, allowing the Brazilian participants to concentrate on software, artificial intelligence and game strategy rather than building a robot from scratch.
"Developing a robot from scratch would require a lot of time devoted to hardware, communications and embedded systems," Moura said. "With a ready-made Chinese platform, we can focus more on what we do best."
This division of work has given the Brazilian team an opportunity to see its algorithms tested on a real-world robotic platform.
"Seeing what we have developed over the past year actually working is extremely rewarding," Moura said.
The effect is also being felt back at the universities in Brazil. When the Chinese robots operate in laboratories, other students often stop to watch, take photos and record videos. Some have become interested in robotics as a result, Moura noted.
For Team Brazil, however, the competition means more than winning games.
"There is competition here, but competition is not the only reason we came," said Joao Aguiar, a member of Team Brazil and a graduate of FEI University Center, who also participated in the competition last year.
The Brazilian team recently played a friendly match against an Italian team. After the game, members of the two teams discussed different approaches to kicking and positioning robots on the field.
"We talk about what each team does differently," Aguiar said. "Through this kind of exchange, all the teams can improve."
With the Chinese teams, the exchange has developed into technical cooperation. A team from Tsinghua University participated in developing part of Team Brazil's code, while China Agricultural University provided support in areas including game strategy.
Cooperation has continued beyond the competition. "We stay in touch, exchange ideas about what we are working on and also discuss maintenance issues," Aguiar said, recalling the relationship he established with Chinese teams during his first visit to Beijing last year.
His experience in China has also deepened his understanding of the country's humanoid robotics industry. During his first trip to China, Aguiar had the opportunity to closely observe humanoid robots developed by Chinese teams.
"The level of development over the past three or four years has been impressive. You can see how robust, fast and intelligent these robots have become in different scenarios, like logistics, industry and pharmacies," he said.
According to Aguiar, Beijing brings together Chinese and international teams in venues where they can develop, train and test robots while exchanging experience and comparing technical solutions. The competition therefore serves not only as a sporting event, but also as a platform for research, development and international exchange.
Beijing, in addition, is strengthening the infrastructure supporting humanoid robotics. The city announced plans to build a training and evaluation base for humanoid robots this year, said Liu Wenqiang, Party secretary of the China Center for Information Industry Development, at a WHRG press conference.
"Beijing has become a hub for humanoid robotics over the past two years," Aguiar said.
For Flavio Tonidandel, coach of Team Brazil and director of Socialdroids Robotics, China's efforts to apply humanoid robots to increasingly complex and practical tasks are particularly noteworthy.
"We need to put robots through increasingly demanding and complex challenges so that they can serve society," he explained.
This approach is reflected in this year's WHRG. In addition to competitive events such as soccer and athletics, the showpiece features 21 scenario-based events covering nine types of real-world needs, namely household and hospitality services, industrial production, emergency response, library management, retail, office services, green-space inspection and vehicle charging.
China is now home to over 140 humanoid robot manufacturers. With an annual shipment volume of 14,400 units, the country now accounts for eight out of every ten humanoid robots produced globally.
Tonidandel believes that clear support policies, competitions such as the WHRG and a steady influx of new talent are important factors behind the rapid development of humanoid robotics in China.
"You see university students, researchers and engineers are all deeply involved in the development of these robots," he said.
As humanoid robots begin to enter real-world applications, Tonidandel also sees greater room for cooperation between Brazil and China.
"Brazilians are faced with some challenges that Chinese may not be, and vice versa. The algorithms we develop in Brazil need to be adapted to local needs in Brazil," he said.
In his view, such cooperation could allow Brazilian researchers to learn from advanced technologies while helping Chinese robots develop solutions that can be applied in more countries.
"This collaboration is very important for both sides. Ultimately, it might facilitate applications of humanoid robots around the world," he said. ■
