Artificial intelligence and robotics are combining with human skill to usher in a new era of sport.

Sport is as intrinsic a part of our civilisation as the expression of art or the use of tools. Cave paintings dating from thousands of years ago, in places as far apart as France, Libya and Japan, depict humans engaged in competitive wrestling, swimming and archery.

And just as art and technology have evolved in step with our species, so too has sport. The birth of the car in the late 19th century gave rise, almost overnight, to motorsports. And the advances of the 21st century have brought us to the verge of a new era of sport, where technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence are combining with human skill in spectacular ways.

A new series of features from The Engineer aims to give the reader an appreciation of some of the sports that are set to intrigue participants and viewers over the coming decade.