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Football-Playing Robots Compete At RoboCup 2017 (phys.org)

An anonymous reader quotes Phys.org: With steely focus, player number 3 scored a stunning opening goal in the first few minutes of the high-stakes football match between a dominant Bordeaux and their plucky Chinese opponents. But as the crowds cheered, the pint-sized player, known as Arya, showed none of the customary swagger of triumphant strikers. In fact, robot number 3 and its teammates showed no emotion at all as they continued to exterminate their rivals' hopes of victory at RoboCup 2017 in Japan. The game, which Bordeaux won 4-0, was one of the gripping final matches in a four-day event that saw about 3,000 researchers and engineering students from 40 countries displaying the prowess of their latest robotic inventions on the football pitch.

Ranging in design from humanoids with human faces to more skeletal contraptions, the robots were programmed to be self-directed and played strategically without being given instructions. The robots "see" using a camera installed in their heads, while installed with artificial intelligence to recognise the spacing and objects in the sight... [A]bility to play as a team was the "winning factor" in Bordeaux University's triumph, according to associate professor Olivier Ly, who acted as coach and positioned his team's players. "We developed lots of features on the team play... The robots play together, try to do some passes," he said.

Robot teamwork "was a completely unresearched area for computer engineers" when the competition started 20 years ago, according to the president of the RoboCup Federation.

38 comments

  1. what were the game odds? by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    this gets real when money is wagered

    1. Re:what were the game odds? by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 3, Insightful

      this gets real when money is wagered

      Obviously you'll be betting in Bit-Coin

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  2. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Opportunist · · Score: 0

    Smarter and most likely also cheaper.

    Another job about to be taken away by robotics. Though I can't say that I pity the "victims" this time around.

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  3. Paging Sam Slade by mrbester · · Score: 1

    Hilarity ensues...

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  4. It's not real until they learn to dive. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's not real football until Jose Mourinho trains the robots to fall over when they're approached.

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    1. Re:It's not real until they learn to dive. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, the other kind of (air quotes) football (/air quotes). :-/

    2. Re:It's not real until they learn to dive. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They can already do that.

  5. Video of the first goal by Maddog+Batty · · Score: 3, Informative

    Stunning might be a little bit of an exaggeration.

    https://youtu.be/BUxqFlrvkQk?t=15582

    (hopefully that is the right match)

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    1. Re:Video of the first goal by Katatsumuri · · Score: 1

      I would say it is a stunning improvement over previous years, when robots mostly just struggled to stay on their feet and try to get to the ball. Given the better-than-linear improvement rate in vision, battery, movement control, team coordination, etc, I expect this to become an enjoyable show in a couple of years.

    2. Re:Video of the first goal by SmilingBoy · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not the right match. Your video is from the standard platform league, where off-the-shelf robots are used with custom software. Here is a video with the highlights of the correct match mentioned in the article lead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... Still not close to human abilities but much better than 10 years ago or so. The more impressive league for the layman is the middle sized league, which uses robots with wheels. Last year's final here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    3. Re:Video of the first goal by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Stunning might be a little bit of an exaggeration.

      https://youtu.be/BUxqFlrvkQk?t=15582

      (hopefully that is the right match)

      HAHA I love the gentle shuffling and hands behind the back, it just seems so...polite. Then when that one kept falling over trying to stand up! Man, I haven't been that entertained watching a game of football in a long while.

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    4. Re:Video of the first goal by Frescard · · Score: 1

      Someone may want to forward this to Elon Musk, to ease his fear of the upcoming robocalypse...

    5. Re:Video of the first goal by myth24601 · · Score: 1

      Nothing like the real thing. You are supposed to get a free kick every time you take a dive.

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    6. Re:Video of the first goal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I swear I heard "Tripping blue!", in English.
        Probably an announcement about a robot tripping itself! :D
      good tech though.

  6. #RESIST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    #RESIST

  7. Need Rugby Robots by johnsie · · Score: 1

    Would love to see a full contact rugby version

  8. smaller robots are better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The best games are those between small robots: fast paced with many passes etc.
    Medium sized is much slower and only some technique remains.
    The humanoids? Its a success if they don't fall down randomly and their movement speed is simply abysmal. Its about as exciting as watching the paint dry.

  9. Why Not Quiddich? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That would be a bit more of a challenge...

  10. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Maritz · · Score: 2

    Ah yes, 'foot' ball, where you largely travel with the ball in hand. Makes sense.

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  11. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, and you use your feet for that.

  12. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 2

    Ah, yes, "Cricket," where no bugs are used.

  13. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Ah, yes, "Cricket," where no bugs are used.

    That's what you think. We ritualistically slaughter thousands of crickets and drink their "blood" before each inning.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  14. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

    now is this soccer football or football football? because football is full of stupid animals.

    It's soccer football, as in the game you play with a ball and your feet rather than football football which you play with your hands and an oval.

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  15. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do you mean "we", person who uses the word "inning" in reference to cricket?

  16. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

    Ah, yes, "Cricket," where no bugs are used.

    What exactly is it you think the wickets are made from? It's not wood ;)

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  17. Are football clubs paying for this? by Bruce66423 · · Score: 1

    Given how expensive players are the potential saving are spectacular...

    1. Re:Are football clubs paying for this? by aicrules · · Score: 1

      ..while robot sports may one day be a thing itself, replacing the human equivalent in this way wouldn't happen. I feel like it would be boring...skill is no longer a factor..eventually games would become 100% predictable short of the occasional mechanical failure.

    2. Re:Are football clubs paying for this? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      ..while robot sports may one day be a thing itself, replacing the human equivalent in this way wouldn't happen. I feel like it would be boring...skill is no longer a factor..eventually games would become 100% predictable short of the occasional mechanical failure.

      Whereas they wouldn't be completely random, there would have to be a degree of randomness to the robot's actions in order to make it difficult for the other team to counter. I suspect it might not be as predictable as you might suspect. Especially if outdoors and weather patterns impact it.

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  18. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by aicrules · · Score: 1

    Isn't that the term used in cricket for the equivalent of a half-inning in baseball? Fairly sure that it is...

  19. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    What do you mean "we", person who uses the word "inning" in reference to cricket?

    An inning is when one team takes a turn at bat. Each team has 2 (or 1 depending on type of game) innings.

    Cricket: a horribly boring game to watch, but I used to love playing it as child. As with most sports it's much better to play than watch.

    --
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  20. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Or "Innings" rather. It's been a few decades.

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  21. So NOT American Football by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

    Wake me when these can play American football and then we can quit hearing about concussions. Oh, wait, are these robots represented by PETR?

  22. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So wait, you mean to tell me American football players run around on their hands?

    Oh right, they run on their FEET. Also if you weren't such a retard you'd realize that that American(or gridiron) football has its origins with all of the other Football codes. That said, gridiron football has changed quite a bit from it's original origins, mostly the forward pass.

    I guess Rugby football or Australian rules football isn't football either since the hands are allowed to be used for backward passing.

    Also this is an American centric website, so its a fair question as to which football code we're referring to.

    Now would you like to wipe the smug off your stupid face?

  23. Soccer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is not football, it is soccer.

  24. Video of a much older match by rsilvergun · · Score: 1
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  25. Re:Probably a lot smarter than your average player by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    So wait, you mean to tell me American football players run around on their hands? Oh right, they run on their FEET.

    By this logic, handball and volleyball are footballs, too.

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