A group watches a robot dance in the exhibition region. [Photo/Cheng Yingqi with chinadaily.com.cn]

A total of 175 robot teams from 47 different countries and regions are set to compete in the 19th RoboCup World Championships as the five-day event opens in Hefei, the capital of East China's Anhui province on Sunday.

A 50-centimeter high robot, manufactured by iFly Tek, served as the interpreter for the opening ceremony.

Football matches will be a main focus of the RoboCup competitions, in which robots will autonomously operate without external control and will be assessed on their skills, such as walking, running, kicking, maintaining balance, visual perception and self-localization.

Robots will also compete in rescue activities, service tasks and logistics.

The RoboCup has been held annually since 1997 and aims to advance the development of artificial intelligence.