Meet Sony Aibo, the 2x defending champion of the small humanoid division at RoboCup, which just wrapped up its 2026 competition in Incheon, South Korea.
This weekend, the top teams in the league competitions faced off in the knockout stages, determining the winners of the small, middle, and large humanoid divisions. Sony Aibo took home gold in the small humanoid division, with the University of Hong Kong claiming silver and Carnegie Mellon University taking bronze. The university’s team, CMU, has been a consistent performer in the division and showed impressive agility and ball control throughout the tournament.
The middle humanoid division saw a thrilling matchup between the University of Tokyo and the University of Edinburgh, with the Japanese team emerging victorious. The win marks the University of Tokyo’s 3rd RoboCup title in as many years. The University of Edinburgh, however, should be proud of its second-place finish, a testament to its growing skills in humanoid robotics.
Takara Tomy’s Rise to Power
In the large humanoid division, the reigning champion, Takara Tomy, successfully defended its title, beating out a strong challenge from the University of California, Berkeley. This victory marks a milestone for Takara Tomy, which has been a dominant force in the division for several years. The team’s humanoid robot, Atlas, demonstrated exceptional strength, power, and agility throughout the competition, cementing its status as one of the top humanoid robots in the world.
What this means
The RoboCup 2026 competition highlights the rapid progress being made in humanoid robotics, with teams pushing the boundaries of what these robots can do. As these robots become increasingly sophisticated, we can expect to see more applications in fields such as healthcare, search and rescue, and manufacturing. The advancements made by teams like Sony Aibo and Takara Tomy are inspiring researchers and engineers to explore new possibilities for humanoid robots in the years to come.
For now, the humanoid robotics community can celebrate the achievements of these top teams and look forward to the next RoboCup competition, where we can expect even more impressive performances and innovations.
