Ronaldo does the impossible with a robot

Mark Rober, famous for his role as a former NASA engineer and currently one of the world's most popular science and technology YouTubers, has just released a viral video challenging the talent of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with a goalkeeper robot he created himself.

The challenge is to stop Ronaldo's 129 km/h kick. If the soccer superstar shoots into the far corner, his robot will have to travel a maximum distance of 3.6m in just 250 milliseconds - half the time it takes to blink an eye.

To tackle this unimaginable challenge, Rober and his team designed a state-of-the-art system he calls the “Unbeatable Goalkeeper Robot”. The core technology of the goalkeeper robot is built on three key elements.

Robot goalkeeper blocks shots using a belt drive system placed across the goal. Photo: Mark Rober/YouTube.

The first is a tracking system that uses 22 high-speed infrared cameras installed around the goal. The cameras work in tandem with a special reflective sticker on the ball, allowing the robot to track the ball's 3D position up to 500 times per second.

Next is the predictive ability, thanks to the data collected, just 6 milliseconds after the ball leaves the player's foot, the system has enough information to accurately predict the trajectory of the shot.

Finally, power and speed. The robot is equipped with two 50 horsepower motors attached to a belt drive system. This combination helps the robot reach a maximum speed of 66 km/h, ensuring that the robot can react and block in the extremely short time it takes for the ball to go from Ronaldo's feet to the goal.

To ensure durability, the robot is reinforced using the same technique used in NASA's materials - carbon fiber sandwiched between layers of foam to keep it light but able to withstand great impact forces.

As the match began, Ronaldo easily scored against a real-life Mark Rober as a warm-up. However, things changed when the superstar faced a mechanical opponent.

Faced with the robot's extraordinary speed and accuracy, Ronaldo's shots were repeatedly blocked, forcing him to change tactics.

Ronaldo had to use fake shots to fool the robot goalkeeper. Photo: Mark Rober/YouTube.

Instead of just trying to use power, Ronaldo started using his shots to probe and find weaknesses in the system. He used fake moves like "stutters" (pretending to shoot and then stopping) and aimed for tricky angles.

Ultimately, the robot was defeated (and slightly damaged) by a shot near the right post – a weakness that had been previously identified due to the damage to the rails and the shape of the cardboard. However, the robot’s incredible save forced Ronaldo to use his intelligence rather than rely solely on his shooting skills, showing that the unpredictability and adaptability of a superstar like Ronaldo is something the robot still cannot fully anticipate.

Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo himself is also a "record holder" on the YouTube platform. The Portuguese superstar officially launched his personal YouTube channel named "UR Ronaldo" in August 2024, and quickly set world records.

Within the first 90 minutes of its launch, Ronaldo's channel reached 1 million subscribers, breaking several previous records. He then went on to become the fastest person in the platform's history to reach the Diamond Button (10 million subscribers).

Ronaldo faces off against a robot goalkeeper The legendary player faces his toughest opponent yet, a robot goalkeeper with the ability to block any shot in the blink of an eye.

Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-lam-dieu-khong-tuong-voi-robot-post1606957.html