Kathmandu, Feb. 20 -- Six miniature robots-three black and three striped red-and-white-are placed on the either side of a small green space. This space, 18 by 12 feet in size, resembles a football ground, with two goal posts and white demarcations. Four young men stand just off the edge of the ground, focussed hard on their phones. They are controlling their robots with their phones.

But by the end of the first minute, UARC, powered by its swiftness and deft handling, scores. UARC scores once more before half-time. The crowd, looking on from the balcony of the covered hall, goes wild. But Virinchi manages to make one point back quickly, and the half-time score stands at 2-1. The six-minute game was as exciting as any full-fledged footbal...