Soccerbots Learn How To Fall Gracefully 105
wjousts writes "Up until now, most work with humanoid robotics has focused on keeping them upright and balanced, but in the real world, falling down is inevitable. So now researcher in Chile are looking at teaching their Soccerbots how to fall down gracefully to minimize damage and allow for a quick recovery.
According to a New Scientist article, 'They found that one of the main ways to minimise damage is for the robot to fold its legs underneath it. Among other things, that means the robot is much less likely to hit its head on the ground. Another good strategy is to use a fall sequence consisting of several movements, so the falling body has several points of contact with the ground, spreading the energy of the impact over a large number of joints, rather than taking it all in one disastrous crunch.'"
Fail gracefully? (Score:5, Funny)
You've obviously never seen soccer.
The bot will tap into the bot with the ball, then proceed to spin at full speed until it lets some smoke out of the IC. Look around to see if anyone saw it and continue playing.
Even more life-like (Score:4, Funny)
They can take a dive, just like real soccer players!
*Ahem* (Score:1, Funny)
But seriously, I want one of these on my side come the next soccer riot.
Diving (Score:2, Funny)
South americans teaching their bots how to dive - whatever next? :)
If you got soccer players... (Score:4, Funny)
Whatever next? (Score:5, Funny)
Argentinian soccerbots with hands.
This grudge is now 23 years old. Hopefully it will be moving out on its own once it's done with grad school.
I'm curious... (Score:1, Funny)
Are they called Football Bots in other parts of the world?
Re:This is great (Score:2, Funny)
Next step (Score:4, Funny)
I for one... (Score:5, Funny)
Welcome the downfall of our graceful robotic overlords.
Re:This is great (Score:4, Funny)
Fixed it again for you.
;)
Hey, don't look at me that way. I'm chilean. We chileans and argentineans have this "healthy" rivalry going on, you know
Get em drunk. (Score:3, Funny)
Everyone knows drunks can fall over and not hurt themselves far better than sober people.
Re:Fail gracefully? (Score:5, Funny)
Fall gracefully, as in like a 3rd rate theatre actor playing Hamlet that staggers about for 5 minutes and gets up 3 more times to exaggerate the death.
Not Fail gracefully, as in take out a bank or two but still get $100 million in severance while everyone who worked for you is turfed out on the street without even their entitelments.
Soccerbot moms (Score:1, Funny)
Maybe they wouldn't fall so much if the Soccerbot moms didn't push them so hard...
Re:This is great (Score:5, Funny)
Every Chelsea player knows that the most important skill is knowing when and how to fall.
There, that should cover just about every nationality besides English.
Re:This is great (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Even more life-like (Score:2, Funny)
Sweet. Then we can give Cesc Fabregas an 'I failed the Turing Test' shirt.