Robo soccer: future sport?

Robo soccer is an international experiment. Its goal is to create artificial intelligence and foster robotics research. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Cope checked out some fixtures.

The idea of soccer-playing robots was first suggested in 1993. Following a four-year study into the technology, in 1997 it was announced that the first international conferences and games would be held in Nagoya, Japan. There have since been 11 tournaments, with the cup most recently being contested in Germany. These events are huge. The recent 2007 games hosted 1,966 players from 321 teams in 39 countries. The matches are covered by the world media.

RoboCup soccccer
The main focus of the RoboCup activities is competitive soccer. The games are important opportunities for researchers to exchange information. They also serve as a great source of entertainment for the public. Robo soccer robots have a complex job. They must be able to reliably recognise the ball, sidelines and goalposts, in addition to being able to distinguish between their own players and the opposition. To accomplish this, they’re fitted with the latest in camera technology; sensors to scan their surroundings; internal processors to convert data in order to define game tactics; and defensive strategy engines that allow players to sprint across the field and side-step opponents. In a tournament, the robots can pass the ball, take penalties, throw-ins and corner kicks. The robot goalkeepers can dive to stop a goal, pick the ball up and stand up from lying down. By 2050, RoboCup hopes to make a fully functional robo soccer team that can beat any human team on the planet. If you would like to see footage or learn more about RoboCup visit: www.robocup.org

How did robotics startrt?
From the start, work in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolved around the emulation of human capabilities. The word ‘robot' originates from the Czech word for forced labour, which is what robots were first intended for, but now they have grown from just servants to athletes and companions. In 1997 soccer robots gained a special honour by the forming of FIRA-Federation of International Robot-Soccer Association which organises all of the robot-soccer tournaments.

Competition rules
The rules of robo soccer depend entirely on what league your robots are in. Most robots fall into the categories of the ‘small size league' and ‘middle size league'. Eventually, FIRA hopes to create a ‘humanoid league', which will be made up of the most advanced technology robotics has to offer. Most of the rules are the same as for FIFA World Cup soccer, with the exception of the following:
n There are no free kicks
n There are no offside rules
n There are no timeouts
n Substitution is prohibited.
There are also rules applying to the playing surface, so that no team can design a field that only it can play on. Some of the field rules are:
n The floor of the playing field must be covered with a printed, matte gray-scale
n The playing field must be flat
n Walls must be placed around the entire field
n The walls must be 14cm high and be painted matte black
n The height of goals depend on the league
n The size of the field depends on the league.
Robo soccer is a highly competitive sport and fouls or deliberately attacking another player is not allowed.
Meanwhile Toshiba Information Systems Division (ISD) has announced its sponsorship of RoboCup Junior, across the country. Toshiba is sponsoring the nationwide competition, as well as supporting eight schools throughout Auckland, Wanganui and Napier. It will provide ten robots, Toshiba notebooks, software and ongoing technical support, training and volunteer time to both teachers and students in these schools. And one of the three categories in Toshiba's RoboCup Junior is Robotic Soccer, where students design and programme two robots to compete against an opposing pair of robots by kicking an infra-red transmitting ball into their designated goal.
It looks as though the sport of robo soccer is set to go into extra time.