Robot ‘higher than Messi’ might be enjoying World Cup groups quickly, say scientists

Robots have been created for many things, but the latest might just trump humans’ ability to play football.

Boffins at the University of California, Los Angeles, have been working hard to create a sporty robot that can kick a ball to rival the most experienced of professionals. It has been in the works for years, but the team are finally seeing some positive progress. Enough that it could take on Lionel Messi at a game, they say.

The robot has been named “a robot that exceeds Messi in soccer” – or ARTEMIS for short. According to the UCLA website, they also refer to the robot as ‘Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability,” but Messi’s explanation seems to be the favourite.

Online they add: “During tests in the lab, ARTEMIS has been clocked walking 2.1 meters per second, which would make it the world’s fastest walking humanoid robot, according to the UCLA researchers. It is also believed to be the first humanoid robot designed in an academic setting that is capable of running, and only the third overall.”

The creators have been trying to get practice in, and have entered ARTEMIS in the RoboCup, an international autonomous robot soccer competition. But they’re not stopped there. They claim they want the robot to be playing the World Cup-winning team by 2050.

In a video made of the robot, a pair of silver mechanic legs can be seem stomping before it takes a shot at the ball which was gently kicked towards him. The structure currently has no torso or head, so might not be ready for goal.

The robot is said to be the “first of its kind,” with actuators – devices that generate motion from energy – were designed to behave like biological muscles. This way they aren’t as “robotic” as other creations and would resemble a footballer more closely.

While the creators have placed black trousers over the robotic limbs and placed a pair of boots on the bottom of its feet, the robot is not quite World Cup ready yet. ARTEMIS was displayed at GITEX 2023, a large tech convention, but struggled to kick the ball in videos.

It often kicked the air and occasionally clipped the ball. “This robot isn’t very good at dodgeball and I didn’t even see it attempt to play soccer. Looks like one day it’ll make one hell of an Amazon worker, though,” wrote on YouTube commenter about the robot.

“Better than most Man U players,” added another.

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