RoboCupSoccer
The main focus of the RoboCup competitions is the game of football/soccer, where the research goals concern cooperative multi-robot and multi-agent systems in dynamic adversarial environments. All robots in this league are fully autonomous.
The games also serve as a great opportunity to educate and entertain the public around S&T issues.
Humanoid
In the Humanoid League, autonomous robots with a human-like body plan and human-like senses play soccer against each other. Unlike humanoid robots outside the Humanoid League the task of perception and world modeling is not simplified by using non-human like range sensors. In addition to soccer competitions technical challenges take place. Dynamic walking, running, and kicking the ball while maintaining balance, visual perception of the ball, other players, and the field, self-localization, and team play are among the many research issues investigated in the Humanoid League. Several of the best autonomous humanoid robots in the world compete in the RoboCup Humanoid League.
Standard Platform
The RoboCup Standard Platform League is a soccer league where all teams participate using an identical robot platform, currently the NAO humanoid robot manufactured by Aldebaran. Research in this league focuses on algorithmic development for fully autonomous robots.In the Humanoid League, autonomous robots with a human-like body plan and human-like senses play soccer against each other. Unlike humanoid robots outside the Humanoid League the task of perception and world modeling is not simplified by using non-human like range sensors. In addition to soccer competitions technical challenges take place. Dynamic walking, running, and kicking the ball while maintaining balance, visual perception of the ball, other players, and the field, self-localization, and team play are among the many research issues investigated in the Humanoid League. Several of the best autonomous humanoid robots in the world compete in the RoboCup Humanoid League.
Middle Size
In RoboCup MSL teams of five fully autonomous robots play soccer with a regular size FIFA soccer ball. Teams are free to design their own hardware but all sensors have to be on-board and there is a maximum size and weight for the robots. The research focus is on mechatronics design, control and multi-agent cooperation at plan and perception levels.
Small Size
The RoboCup Small Size League is one of the oldest RoboCup Soccer leagues. It is focused on intelligent multi-agent coordination and control in a highly dynamic environment. Teams currently compete in 11 vs. 11 soccer matches (6 vs. 6 in division B) with an orange golf ball. The robots are built by the teams and have to conform to certain dimensions and constraints, as defined in the rules. All objects on the field are tracked by a central vision system – called SSL-Vision – which is maintained by the SSL community. Off-field computers for each team are used for the processing required for coordination and control of the robots. Communication is wireless and uses dedicated commercial radio transmitter/receiver units.
Simulation
This is one of the oldest leagues in RoboCupSoccer. The Simulation League focus on artificial intelligence and team strategy. Independently moving software players (agents) play soccer on a virtual field inside a computer.
There are 2 subleagues: 2D and 3D.
