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Soccerbots Learn How To Fall Gracefully

Posted by samzenpus on from the I've-fallen-and-I-can't-compute dept.

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.'"

17 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Fail gracefully? by 0100010001010011 · · 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.

    1. Re:Fail gracefully? by syousef · · Score: 4, 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.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  2. Even more life-like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    They can take a dive, just like real soccer players!

    1. Re:Even more life-like by ByteGuerrilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sweet. Then we can give Cesc Fabregas an 'I failed the Turing Test' shirt.

      --

      A block of code, sufficiently well-written, is indistinguishable from magick.

  3. *Ahem* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    FOOTBALL bot, ya bloody Yanks! :P

    But seriously, I want one of these on my side come the next soccer riot.

  4. Diving by KliX · · Score: 2, Funny

    South americans teaching their bots how to dive - whatever next? :)

  5. If you got soccer players... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Spectatorbots will learn how to riot peacefully without burning down the stadium, trampling each other, and/or throwing garbage at everyone else.

  6. Whatever next? by Rupert · · Score: 4, 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.

    --

    --
    E_NOSIG
  7. I'm curious... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Are they called Football Bots in other parts of the world?

  8. Re:This is great by newcastlejon · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, the most important skill is to get to the penalty box then back into the player behind you then fall over.

    --
    If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
  9. Next step by EvilToiletPaper · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hooligan bots automatically turn batteries down at the end of a match to emulate incoherence and inebriation..

  10. I for one... by sokoban · · Score: 5, Funny

    Welcome the downfall of our graceful robotic overlords.

    --
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 is the magic number.
  11. Re:This is great by Alexandra+Erenhart · · Score: 3, Funny

    Every Argentinean soccer player knows that the most important skill is knowing when and how to fall.

    Fixed that for you.

    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 ;)

  12. Get em drunk. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Everyone knows drunks can fall over and not hurt themselves far better than sober people.

  13. Soccerbot moms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe they wouldn't fall so much if the Soccerbot moms didn't push them so hard...

  14. Re:This is great by newcastlejon · · 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.

    --
    If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
  15. Re:This is great by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

    Was that because the other ten had been sent off?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."