Earlier on Singularity Hub, we covered the RoboGames.  That was all well and good, with smashing and melee and some soccer to boot, but the six-year old RoboGames tradition is not the final word in mechanized competition.  The RoboCup has been an annual feature since 1997 and, in true international spirit, has taken place all over the globe from the USA to China.  This year’s Cup was held in Graz, Austria this past weekend and while SOME EDITORS wouldn’t shell out for plane tickets to get some ring-side action, we have still compiled a healthy host of highlights for all to enjoy.

While the RoboGames boasts many different competitions, the RoboCup is much more focused on a few key events.  As is European custom, soccer is a mainstay of the Cup.  There are a few different categories including small size, medium size, standard platform and humanoid leagues.  A simulation league is also offered, being played in a virtual world for those who wish to focus solely on programming the artificial intelligence.

All leagues are solely autonomous, placing a great amount of emphasis on creating the correct algorithm to make the robots as formidable as possible.  In the standard platform league, every entrant uses the same Nao robot.  In the other leagues competitors design, build and program their own robots according to the published rules.  Take a look at the humanoid league preliminary match to get a feel for the gameplay:

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