Tech
Watch Out, Soccer Fans: RoboCup Stars Robotic Teams (Video)
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jul 01, 2013 08:46 AM EDT
Watch out, soccer fans; these aren't your typical players. A tournament in the Netherlands doesn't star human soccer players. Instead, it stars robots.
At first glance, these robots don't look like much. They lack the grace and athleticism seen in their human counterparts. Some of them fall over when pushed by their opponents, metal and plastic legs flailing in the air when they're unable to keep their balance. Others merely waddle down the field, carefully pushing the tiny ball in front of them as they attempt to score a goal.
Despite this seeming lack of grace, though, these robots are extremely sophisticated. The new tournament, RoboCup 2013, features robot soccer teams from 40 different countries. There are several different divisions of this tournament, including sections for smaller and larger non-humanoid robots, virtual robots and humanoid robots. These divisions also include further "sub-leagues" within the categories in order to make the competition fair.
The robots aren't just there to put on a show, either. The tournament is a good way to test new designs in order to further enhance current robots. In addition, it encourages researchers to focus on creating new robots in the first place. Learning how to make these machines move more smoothly can aid in creating robots for search-and-rescue missions as well as space exploration.
The tournament also has some less-lofty goals, though. RoboCup hopes to eventually design a team of robots that can successfully compete against a human team. In fact, the organization hopes to create a robotic team that can actually win by 2050. They'll eventually combine the different techniques seen in the various robots to make a veritable robot All Star team. That said, there's a long way to go.
"To be honest, I think a three-year-old could win against any of the humanoid teams," said Marcell Missura of the University of Bonn in an interview with the AP.
It's not just movement that the tournament focuses on, either. The robots have to adapt and "think" what their next move is going to be. The ability to change their actions based on their environment is important not only in soccer-but also in real situations.
Want to see the robots for yourself? You can check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.
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First Posted: Jul 01, 2013 08:46 AM EDT
Watch out, soccer fans; these aren't your typical players. A tournament in the Netherlands doesn't star human soccer players. Instead, it stars robots.
At first glance, these robots don't look like much. They lack the grace and athleticism seen in their human counterparts. Some of them fall over when pushed by their opponents, metal and plastic legs flailing in the air when they're unable to keep their balance. Others merely waddle down the field, carefully pushing the tiny ball in front of them as they attempt to score a goal.
Despite this seeming lack of grace, though, these robots are extremely sophisticated. The new tournament, RoboCup 2013, features robot soccer teams from 40 different countries. There are several different divisions of this tournament, including sections for smaller and larger non-humanoid robots, virtual robots and humanoid robots. These divisions also include further "sub-leagues" within the categories in order to make the competition fair.
The robots aren't just there to put on a show, either. The tournament is a good way to test new designs in order to further enhance current robots. In addition, it encourages researchers to focus on creating new robots in the first place. Learning how to make these machines move more smoothly can aid in creating robots for search-and-rescue missions as well as space exploration.
The tournament also has some less-lofty goals, though. RoboCup hopes to eventually design a team of robots that can successfully compete against a human team. In fact, the organization hopes to create a robotic team that can actually win by 2050. They'll eventually combine the different techniques seen in the various robots to make a veritable robot All Star team. That said, there's a long way to go.
"To be honest, I think a three-year-old could win against any of the humanoid teams," said Marcell Missura of the University of Bonn in an interview with the AP.
It's not just movement that the tournament focuses on, either. The robots have to adapt and "think" what their next move is going to be. The ability to change their actions based on their environment is important not only in soccer-but also in real situations.
Want to see the robots for yourself? You can check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone