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U.S. Soccer Bots Can Predict Ball Movement

by Caleb Johnson on June 17, 2010 at 09:00 AM

US Soccer Bots
While it might be overshadowed by the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Robocup, a soccer tournament for robots, is also happening right now. According to Physorg, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a computer algorithm for the American robo-team that allows the bots to anticipate and predict how the ball will move around the pitch.

The goal of the Robocup is for researchers to develop autonomous bots that can defeat a human soccer team by 2050. It's a lofty ambition, but Carnegie Mellon team's system is about as close to accomplishing it as anybody has come yet. A computer that controls the soccer bots is connected to a camera mounted above the miniature field. The camera monitors and the computer positions the bots according to what's happening (or will happen next) in the match. But, with this algorithm, the bots are no longer reacting; they're predicting where the ball will go by understanding their surrounding space in regards to the ball's movement.

Of course, these pint-sized bots are a long way from taking on even the worst national soccer teams. However, their ability to predict rather than react could put the U.S. robo-team at the top of the heap. Finally, we could defeat Brazil on the pitch. [From: Physorg, via: Popular Science]

Tags: algorithm, carnegie mellon, CarnegieMellon, computer, physics, robocup, robot, Robots, Soccer, sports, top

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