Short Introduction to RoboCup and its leagues, with focus on 2D and midsize. The teams from Osnabrück, Germany are introduced.

1. ROBO C UP
A T ESTING E NVIRONMENT FOR M ULTI AGENT S YSTEMS
Hannes Schulz
University of Osnabrück, Department of Cognitive Science
December 13th 2005

2. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

3. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

4. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
50-Y EAR -C HALLENGES I
50 years from Wright Brother’s 1st aircraft to
Apollo mission sending man to moon
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

5. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
50-Y EAR -C HALLENGES II
50 years from invention of digital computer to Deep Blue
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

6. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
50-Y EAR -C HALLENGES III?
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

7. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
S OCCER – A N EW T OY P ROBLEM FOR AI
Chess Soccer
Environment static dynamic
Available Infos complete incomplete
Sensor Readings symbolic non-symbolic
Control central distributed
Physical Agent no yes
Time Critical not really yes
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

8. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

9. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
ROBO C UP F OUNDATION
International joint project for AI/related fields
Fosters research by providing standard problem
Aims at innovations to be “applied to socially significant
problems and industries”
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

10. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
T HE V ISION
By 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous
humanoid robots that can win against the human
world champion team in soccer.
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

11. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
T HREE A REAS
RoboCup Soccer RoboCup Rescue
(Challenge) (Application)
Rescue Simulation
Simulation (2D+3D)
Rescue Robot
Small Size
RoboCup Junior
Middle Size (Education)
Sony Aibo Soccer Challenge
Dance Challenge
Humanoid
Rescue Challenge
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

12. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
T HREE A REAS
RoboCup Soccer RoboCup Rescue
(Challenge) (Application)
Rescue Simulation
Simulation (2D+3D)
Rescue Robot
Small Size
RoboCup Junior
Middle Size (Education)
Sony Aibo Soccer Challenge
Dance Challenge
Humanoid
Rescue Challenge
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

13. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
T HREE A REAS
RoboCup Soccer RoboCup Rescue
(Challenge) (Application)
Rescue Simulation
Simulation (2D+3D)
Rescue Robot
Small Size
RoboCup Junior
Middle Size (Education)
Sony Aibo Soccer Challenge
Dance Challenge
Humanoid
Rescue Challenge
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

14. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues Soccer as a Research Field? The RoboCup Foundation
T HREE A REAS
RoboCup Soccer RoboCup Rescue
(Challenge) (Application)
Rescue Simulation
Simulation (2D+3D)
Rescue Robot
Small Size
RoboCup Junior
Middle Size (Education)
Sony Aibo Soccer Challenge
Dance Challenge
Humanoid
Rescue Challenge
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

15. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

16. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
A P LAYER D ESCRIPTION
Neck Angle
Players vary in:
Body Angle
Speed inc
Player Radius
Kick radius
Kick Radius
Kick randomization
Stamina recovery
time
...
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

17. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
P OSSIBLE ACTIONS IN A C YCLE
(Neck Turn)
Turn
Dash
Kick
Tackle
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

18. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
“P HYSICS ” OF DASHING
pos before dash
Additionaly:
dash
Dash command is exposed
resulting pos to noise
Player stamina is
decreased
Stamina recovers slowly, if
velocity too low:
permanent player damage
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

19. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
T HE V IEW M ODEL
See updates every 150 ms.
Fewer see updates for:
high quality view
wide view angle
With distance
Player numbers blur
α Player team affiliations blur
Player positions blur
(logarithmically)
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

20. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
T HE S OCCER FIELD
G EOMETRY AND F LAGS
(52,34)
(0,0)
(-52,-34)
2x11 agents play for 2x5 minutes on real sized soccer field
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

21. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
T HE B RAINSTORMERS AGENT
Decision Module
Skills Module
World Tactics
Environment
Model Module Kick Move
Module Intercept Move
Dribble Move
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

22. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

23. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
T HE 3D AGENT
A S NAPSHOT OF THE E ARLY Y EAR 2005
Spherical agent
Omnivision
Kicks only away from body
Can drive in any direction
Battery discharges during
dashing/kicking
Physics simulation involves
collision, acceleration,. . .
◮ It’s like today’s robots!
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

24. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
M ORE RULES ?
Similar to 2D: Relaxed rules in 3D league:
2x5 minutes No offside
2x11 agents No jumping (→ low goals)
Battery very powerful
real sized soccer field
Kick in all directions
. . . but. . . possible
◮ Room for yearly improvement
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

25. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
M ORE RULES ?
Similar to 2D: Relaxed rules in 3D league:
2x5 minutes No offside
2x11 agents No jumping (→ low goals)
Battery very powerful
real sized soccer field
Kick in all directions
. . . but. . . possible
◮ Room for yearly improvement
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

26. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
M ORE RULES ?
Similar to 2D: Relaxed rules in 3D league:
2x5 minutes No offside
2x11 agents No jumping (→ low goals)
Battery very powerful
real sized soccer field
Kick in all directions
. . . but. . . possible
◮ Room for yearly improvement
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

27. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
G AME S CREENSHOT
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

28. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

29. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
RULES
Field Size 6x12m, varying
Agents: ground surface area/weight restrictions
4-6 Agents/Team
WLAN, but no remote control except for referee commands
2x10 min per game
◮ Lots of rules about colors, which player can go to the ball
when. . . (“Discussion League”)
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

30. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
B RAINSTORMERS – F RONT V IEW
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

31. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
W HEELS AND BASE
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

32. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
C ONTROL S TRUCTURE
Control Layer
Control Loop
User Interface Communication
Component Layer
Robot Access Player Behavior Image Processing
World Model
Data Layer data structs for info exchange
Library Layer general algorithms (i.e. geometric)
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

33. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
T IME C( O ) URSE
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

34. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
S ELF L OCALIZATION I
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

35. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
S ELF L OCALIZATION II
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

36. O UTLINE
1 W HAT IS ROBO C UP ?
Soccer as a Research Field?
The RoboCup Foundation
2 S ELECTED L EAGUES
2D Simulation League
3D Simulation League
Midsize League
Various others

37. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
S MALL S IZE L EAGUE
Overview
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

38. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
H UMANOID L EAGUE
Overview
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

39. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
S ONY A IBO (“F OUR -L EGGED ”) L EAGUE
Overview
Hannes Schulz RoboCup

40. What is RoboCup? Selected Leagues 2D Simulation League 3D Simulation League Midsize League
S UMMARY
RoboCup provides toy problem for robotics/AI
RoboCup facilitates research by competition
Different Leagues approach vision of robotic soccer team
from different view points
Hannes Schulz RoboCup