Manchester City fans could be entertained at games by ROBOTS thanks to a new partnership.
Supporters of the Premier League club can expect to see products of new Official Robot Partner UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP on show at home games.
There will also be a series of co-branded products across the club鈥檚 digital channels and fan competitions.
A world leader in consumer robotics, UBTECH is the first company in China to design and manufacture humanoid robots.
Tom Glick, group chief commercial officer, City Football Group, said: 鈥淧artnering with UBTECH is a natural fit for Manchester City.
鈥淭ogether, we can reinvent the fan experience both at the Etihad Stadium and online by using pioneering technology and putting fans at the heart of the partnership.鈥�
A machine learning algorithm which could be used to improve performance won the Manchester City hackathon last month.
Manchester City’s reputation and commitment to innovation impressed UBTECH Robotics founder James Zhou.
鈥淭he unique partnership between UBTECH Robotics and Manchester City will bring cutting edge robotics technology and sports marketing together,鈥� he said.
鈥淎s one of the top football clubs in the world, Manchester City has a positive and healthy brand image.
“The club constantly seeks to innovate and is dedicated to bringing beautiful football to its fans so they enjoy unforgettable moments.
鈥淚nnovation is also deeply embedded in the DNA of UBTECH Robotics and as a result we are excited to become the official global robot partner of Manchester City.
鈥淯BTECH Robotics focuses on bringing intelligent consumer robots to every home in the world and creating a more intelligent, humanized lifestyle for all.
鈥淲ith Manchester City, we look forward to bringing the excitement of intelligent robots and 鈥渂eautiful football鈥� together for all to enjoy.鈥�
We reported this summer how data from a ‘male sports bra’ is being used to lift performance and transform the way decisions are taken in football.