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RoboCup German Open 2008Robots fight for world title |
By Gabriel Gache, Science News Editor
2nd of April 2008, 12:53 GMT
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They say white men can't jump and robots can't play soccer. That may be true, however this didn't stop high-tech enthusiasts from organizing the RoboCup German Open 2008. The tournament will be held between 21 to 25 April in the Hall 25 of the Hannover Messe, Hannover, Germany, and expects more than 80 teams of researchers from 15 countries from all over the world.
Soccer matches are believed to be an extremely complex activity for robots. In order to play soccer, robots must first be
able to recognize the ball, the field and all its distinctive markings, goals, and to make a difference between teammates and adversaries. That translates into highly complex software processors that must be able to develop game strategies and innovative tactics, cameras and sensors that the robot uses to analyze the environment.
According to the organizers, the competition will have a total of nine leagues, each with its technological focus. For example, the middle-size league will include the robots which are able to move on wheels. Each team will consist of five players that will play on a 20 by 14 meter pitch that has standard goals. The robots must be able to move on their own, based on the information received in real time from their sensors.
Other leagues will see competitors running on mechanical paws, such as the Aibo robot developed by Sony. Two legged robots have been competing in the RoboCup ever since 2005.
"These humanoid robots have come a long way in recent years. Just like real players, they fall down and get up again, go after the ball autonomously and score goals," said Dr. Angar Bredenfeld, which is in charge with the RoboCup at IAIS.
Since 2006, the RoboCup Open has had a competition called RoboCup(at)home, in which service robots could enter. The competing robots are placed inside a replica of a room and must perform different tasks such as opening a refrigerator, collecting the garbage, or recognizing people. In the RoboCup-Rescues category, robots must complete an obstacle course on their own.
"RoboCup stimulates technological development in a way that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Many components that were originally designed for robot soccer have since made their way into other applications, for instance in localization technology for inspection robots," said executive director of IAIS, professor Stefan Wrobel.
Additionally, RoboCup Open holds a category named RoboCupJunior, where participants under 20 years of age may compete. Researchers may also participate in fighting, dancing and obstacle tournaments. 300 different teams have already subscribed for the tournament, but must first qualify in order to enter one of the three competitions held by RoboCup Open.
Wrobel adds that: "Germany has a serious problem: it lacks tens of thousands of engineers. RoboCupJunior is a very important event, as it sparks young people's interest in technical degree courses."
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