RoboTeam Twente is ready for the spotlight
After a year of long nights, last-minute breakthroughs, and possibly the occasional robot falling dramatically off the table, RoboTeam Twente is ready for the spotlight. The student-run team from the University of Twente will reveal their newest generation of fully autonomous football robots on Thursday, June 19, at Concordia in Enschede. These pint-sized players aren’t just smarter and faster — they’re team players with a silicon heart and steel resolve.
“We poured passion and motivation into this project,” says Team Manager Deef van der Linde. “We can’t wait to see it in action.” That action will come soon enough: after the unveiling, the team will travel to Leibniz University Hannover in Germany to take on fellow robot squads in a friendly but fierce tournament from July 18 to 20.
🤖 What on Earth Is Robot Football?
Imagine the World Cup, but everyone is tiny, autonomous, and made of metal. That’s robot football, or more formally, the RoboCup Small Size League — a global competition where student-engineered robots play fully automated 5v5 football. There are no remote controls: all strategy, motion, and decision-making is handled in real time by software, sensors, and a whole lot of clever code.
The goal? To advance robotics and AI research in a format that’s both wildly entertaining and academically cutting-edge. RoboCup’s ultimate mission? Developing a team of humanoid robots that can beat the human world champions by 2050. Yes, seriously.
🎉 Meet the New Players
RoboTeam Twente’s 2025 lineup is reportedly “faster, smarter, and better team players than any of their predecessors” .
Guests attending the June 19 reveal in Enschede will get an inside look at what goes into building these footballing machines. Members from each of the team’s subgroups — Artificial Intelligence, Control, Embedded, and Mechanics — will give short presentations.
“We’re proud to introduce a robot that truly represents our spirit of innovation and teamwork,” says Jonathan, the team’s External Manager.
🇩🇪 Eyes on Hannover
The new robots won’t have much time to rest. From July 18 to 20, RoboTeam Twente will compete at the SCALE research building of Leibniz University Hannover, hosted by the German team Luhbots. Alongside local rivals Immortals, the teams will compete under Division B rules of the RoboCup Small Size League — a category where robots must be entirely autonomous and fit within a 180mm circle. Think of it as robot football’s Champions League for compact genius.
Expect competitive matches, live-streamed games, and plenty of unexpected glitches. But that’s part of the charm: this isn’t just about scoring goals — it’s about pushing the boundaries of robotics, collaboration, and what a team of students can achieve in one very intense year.
🗓 Quick Overview
-
Robot Reveal Event: Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ Concordia, Enschede
-
Tournament: July 18–20, 2025 @ Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
-
Live Streams: Available online via RoboTeam Twente channels
