The Eco-Be mini robot, created by the Japanese watchmaker Citizen, is set to compete against other robots during the World Cup scheduled to take place in Bremen, Germany, this June.
Powered by a watch motor and a lithium-ion battery, the mini robot can move at a speed of 1.5 meters per minute, controlled remotely via infrared signals. Citizen has stated that this speed is insufficient for kicking a real soccer ball, which is why Eco-Be will operate on a horizontal screen with a virtual ball instead.
According to Yoichi Kashiwa, a spokesperson for Citizen Watch, this robot will be able to use a real ball in the upcoming RoboCup 2007 competition. He mentioned that the company is still conducting research, but in the future, there will be matches between two teams consisting of 11 robots each.
In the process of developing this robot, the company also aims to generate new ideas that could be applied to other electronic devices.
The RoboCup competition, originating in Japan, encourages research in artificial intelligence and robotics with the goal of integrating these technologies into soccer games.
Citizen Watch aims to create an Eco-Be soccer team, programming different functions into each mini robot to ensure competitive play.
