ROBO SPORTS

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Many real-life, real-human events are now simulated thanks to high-tech computers and robots that make cool things happen. Even the world of sports has seen a rise in robot action. What is better than a regular World Cup Soccer game? A Robo-Cup Soccer game, of course!

 

In Robo-soccer, mobile robots track a special light-emitting ball in a small indoor field.  A team of designers creates and codes the soccer robots to use sensors to move around and make decisions about what to do. The bots make their own decisions on the “soccer” field.

 

Of course, soccer is not the only robot sport. Every year there are robot world championships organized by the RoboCup Federation. These are called the…wait for it…RoboGames! In the RoboGames there are 70 different sports and activities. It is like a Frankenbot Olympics! Some robot sports played include android wrestling, maze-solving, and balance races.

 

One of the goals of the RoboGames is to create teams of totally independent humanoid athletes to play against real humans—and to win! What sport is the first to experiment with this? Soccer, of course! The first RoboCup conference happened in the year 1997 with more than 40 teams and 5,000 spectators.

 

Imagine yourself in the stands at the RoboGames. Now imagine three Frankenbots playing on the field. Who’s there and what sport are they playing?