Robot Soccer Is Here, And We've Even Got Some Getting Stretchered Off The Pitch

China plays it fast and loose with its robots these days and just months after robots ran (or at least tried to run) a half-marathon, they've got robots playing soccer.

And while none of them are going to be bending it like Beckham any time soon, the robots already have a good idea of what it takes to be a high-level soccer player, specifically as it relates to getting carted off the pitch after an "injury."

According to the Associated Press, over the weekend, AI-powered humanoid robots hit the pitch for some 3-on-3 soccer matches that were designed to be a nice little appetizer ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games, which will take place in Beijing.

Is it good soccer? I mean, if you consider what looks like a robo-Three Stooges soccer short "good soccer," then sure, it was great!

Sometimes when I get nervous about the prospect of robots taking over the world, I see something like this and I breathe a sigh of relief.

But man, I think I would buy a ticket to see this because that's entertaining as hell. 

First of all, the way they pick up a fallen robot in a stretcher the way they would a human soccer player is hilarious. The only thing that would be better is if the robot laid on the sidelines in "pain" until it realized that there was no yellow card company, then it was miraculously healed and re-entered the game.

Nope, none of that, but you do get some robots with lightning fast feet who appear to be scared of the all over eachother.

It's robo-gold, Jerry…

It's all in good fun, although, I will say that the way the robots were designed to stand up on their own in the event of a tip-over is a little too "Terminator" for my liking.