Road to the Robocup 2004

RuiFerreira writes "Artificial Intelligence and Robotics researchers meet in Portugal from 27th June to 5th July in the 8th Robocup Football World Championships. RoboCup is an international research and education initiative. Its goal is to foster artificial intelligence and robotics research by providing a standard problem where a wide range of technologies can be examined and integrated. The RoboCup Federation proposed the ultimate goal of the RoboCup Initiative to be stated as follows: 'By 2050, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall win a soccer game, complying with the official FIFA rules, against the winner of the most recent World Cup of Human Soccer.' Robocup has an exciting programme including RoboCup Symposium, the RoboCup Soccer (humanoid, middle-size, small-size, 4-legged, simulation), the RoboCup Rescue (real and simulated robots) and the RoboCup Junior (dance, soccer and rescue) competitions. The robotic competitions will take place at Pavilion 4 of Lisbon Industry Fair located at the Parque das Nações, the site of the 1998 World Exposition (EXPO'98)."

The end is near.

[Chucklz]

Skynet....

The soccer team became self-aware at 6:21 pm. Slashdotters everywhere scared shitless. Knew the end was coming, but were more concerned about their kernels.

Two words...

[Zorilla]

Robo Hooligans

film at 11:00...

[netwiz]

I, for one, welcome our new soccer robot masters...

Beating human players...

[DavidNWelton]

Will they be allowed to use lasers? Is that against FIFA rules?

I think the human players will win by rolling around the ground clutching their knees to draw penalty shots. A robot will never be able to do that convincingly.

a GOAL!

[jokach]

I wonder if the robots will run around taking off their shirts when they score a goal ...

Re:Beating human players...

[hkfczrqj]

I think the human players will win by rolling around the ground clutching their knees to draw penalty shots.

You're right, but robots can have ultra-sentitive detectors so when a player comes near, the robot mysteriously falls, rolls on the floor and some fake blood comes out of its structure.

Also, robots can have more "eyes" than humans, so they can foul/spit/punch humans and be sure that no referee was watching.

humanoid

[InternationalCow]

We'll know that they're really close to being like humans when they start asking ridiculous salaries, wear interesting hairdo's and date has-been pop stars :)

Re:humanoid

[Zorilla]

All they need is a Brazilian robot name....like Robaldo

if it's down to penalties it will be sooner ;-)

[fantomas]

By 2050, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall win a soccer game..

Well I think if it comes down to penalties against England, they might not have to wait until 2050... has Beckham's shot come out of orbit yet?

Re:a GOAL!

[saigon_from_europe]

Actually, I never undrestood why players strip their shirts.

Let us presume that this behavior is really meaningless (as I believe it is). So programmers could intentionaly code this practice in robots' AI. The coach of human team will think that robots are stupid since they are doing this. He will underestimate robot team, which will be the way robots get some minor tactical advantage.

Hopefuly, Goran Ericsson and Rudi Voeler are too old to be capable of leading human team in 2050, so that gives good chances for humans to win.