The Robot Soccer Championship is a high-tech competition aimed at universities, research institutes, and the industrial sector. Several tournaments are scheduled for 2008, the largest of which is the “Expanded German RoboCup Championship.” From April 21 to 25, over 40 research teams from more than 15 countries will compete at Hannover Messe. Throughout a series of matches, these teams will showcase their latest technologies to the audience.
For machines, playing soccer is an incredibly complex task. Robots must be able to recognize the ball, the sidelines, and the goalposts, in addition to distinguishing between their own team and the opposing team. To achieve this, they are equipped with various high-tech devices such as cameras and sensors to scan and capture their surroundings, internal processors to convert data for tactical and defensive strategies, and advanced motors that allow these automated players to move across the field and outmaneuver opponents.
Currently, there are 9 teams, each focusing on a different type of technology. In the medium-sized group, robots move on wheels. Each team has a goalkeeper and 4 players competing on a standard-sized field of 20×14 meters with regulation goalposts. They must operate completely independently and are equipped with embedded camera systems to process information in real-time. Furthermore, robots can move at speeds of up to 2 meters per second.
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At the RoboCup competition, bipedal robots are one of the types of robots competing. (Photo: Fraunhofer IAIS) |
Other automated “players,” such as Sony’s Aibo robot dog, run on four mechanical legs. Bipedal competitors have been vying against each other at RoboCup since 2005. According to Dr. Ansgar Bredenfeld, who oversees RoboCup at IAIS, “Humanoid robots have come a long way in recent years. Similar to real players, they fall down and get back up, autonomously chase the ball, and score goals.”
RoboCup represents more than just a soccer tournament. Since 2006, the organizers have introduced the “RoboCup Home” category, focusing on service robots. In a simulated room, robots must navigate to the refrigerator, pick up litter, and recognize people. In the “RoboCup-Rescue” category, robots must complete an obstacle course.
According to Professor Stefan Wrobel, Executive Director at IAIS, “RoboCup has driven technological advancement in ways that would not have been possible without it. Many technologies originally designed for soccer-playing robots are now being used in other applications, such as navigation in exploration robots.” Robots that autonomously mow lawns or collect samples from the ocean floor for marine researchers are also equipped with RoboCup technology.
Contestants under 20 years of age will have their own tournament, “RoboCupJunior,” held concurrently with the “RoboCupSenior” tournament. In addition to robot soccer, aspiring scientists can participate in RoboDance (robot dancing) and RoboRescue (obstacle racing). These competitions are extremely popular, with approximately 300 teams registered to compete this year. To participate in Hannover, teams must perform well in one of the three competitions. Wrobel stated, “RoboCupJunior is a very important event as it inspires a passion for science and engineering courses among youth.”
This tournament is organized and managed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems, based in Sankt Augustin.
