Prompt's TechBlog
Robot footy World Cup winners
will challenge humanity in 2050!
14 June 2006
Posted by Dave Wilby
We loved this story, courtesy of the BBC, announcing the opening of the 10th annual RoboCup, getting underway today in Bremen.
It's a lot busier than the traditional human competition, with over 400 teams of robots from 36 countries competing to get their metallic gauntlets on their own version of the World Cup. Interestingly, the tournament organisers have higher ambitions than just watching a load of remote-controlled bots clumsily batting a chunk of tin around each year. They reckon that in 2050 the winners of the RoboCup will be able to beat the real World Cup champions at their own game. Seriously!
"RoboCup 2006 is the first step towards a vision," Minoru Asada, president of the RoboCup Federation told the Beeb. "This vision includes the development of a humanoid robot team of eleven players, which can win against a human soccer world champion team."
Well, yeah, maybe, if they drove around the pitch at 100MPH and had ball cannon fitted to their feet, we can begin to have 'a vision' too. If that's progress, we'll ensure our old-fashioned flat back four are pocketing multi-tools...
But it's the phrase 'human soccer' that begins to scare us just a little, you see. The 'Brazil' of the 10th Robocup come from Japan, but fittingly compete in that up and coming humanoid category. Be afraid, Mr Rooney, these guys will crunch those metatarsals without even changing gear...
tags: robots | robocup | soccer | football | world cup | world domination
# posted by Dave Wilby at 4:42 PM 
Comments:
You know how they'll be able to beat human players?
By shooting them in the head with their ROBO-LASERS FIRED OUT OF THEIR EVIL SOULLESS ROBOT EYES!!! WE'RE ALL DOOOMED!!!
Er, don't get too excited Lance. Though the robo-laser thing would be good - like 'Match of the Day' crossed with 'Logan's Run' and a touch of 'The Great Egg Race'.
The Microsoft Hellhounds seem to be doing rather well. Would be more fun if other teams were named after other tech vendors.
<< Home