Advancing the Cutting Edge
Our aim is to leverage RoboCup as a catalyst for advancing robotics and AI research by presenting a challenge that is both captivating to the public and intellectually formidable. One of the most effective strategies for driving progress in science and engineering is to establish ambitious long-term objectives. When the achievement of such objectives carries substantial societal implications, it qualifies as a grand challenge project. While constructing a soccer-playing robot may not inherently revolutionize society or economics, its realization would undeniably mark a significant milestone for the field. We refer to endeavors of this nature as landmark projects. RoboCup exemplifies this concept, serving as both a landmark project and a standard problem.
The Vision
We advocate that the ultimate aspiration of the RoboCup Initiative should be articulated as follows:
By the middle of the 21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall win a soccer game, complying with the official rules of FIFA, against the winner of the most recent World Cup.
We propose that this objective be established as one of the grand challenges embraced by the robotics and AI communities over the next half-century. Admittedly, this goal may appear exceedingly ambitious given the current state of technological advancement. However, we firmly believe in the importance of setting and pursuing such a far-reaching objective. Consider the remarkable progress witnessed in the span of just 50 years: from the Wright Brothers’ pioneering flight to the Apollo mission, which successfully landed a man on the moon and returned him safely to Earth; from the inception of the digital computer to the development of Deep Blue, the chess-playing computer that triumphed over the human world champion. Constructing a humanoid soccer player demands a similarly protracted timeline and concerted efforts from a diverse array of researchers. It’s clear that this goal will not be achieved in the immediate future, but rather requires sustained dedication over many years.
The Landmark Project
Successful landmark projects are characterized by their pursuit of highly compelling and broadly appealing objectives. One of the most renowned examples is the Apollo space program. In committing to the ambitious goal of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth,” the United States embarked on a historic endeavor. While the direct economic impact of lunar exploration may have been limited, the technologies developed to achieve this feat laid the groundwork for significant advancements in various industries. Setting the bar high enough to necessitate a series of technical breakthroughs is crucial for landmark projects, alongside ensuring that the goal captures widespread interest and excitement. Moreover, the technologies required to achieve the objective must possess the potential to underpin the next generation of industries.
In the case of the Apollo project, the overarching goal encompassed more than simply landing astronauts on the moon. It aimed to establish the technological capabilities to address broader national interests in space, assert U.S. dominance in space exploration, conduct scientific exploration of the lunar surface, and enhance human adaptability to extraterrestrial environments.
Similarly, in the context of RoboCup, the ultimate objective is to develop a robot soccer team capable of surpassing the human world champion team. While this goal may seem daunting and require decades of concerted effort, it serves as a catalyst for pursuing a series of well-defined subgoals. Just as the Mercury and Gemini projects paved the way for the Apollo mission, achieving milestones like building robotic soccer teams that play proficiently under modified rules will undoubtedly yield technological advancements with far-reaching implications across industries.
The Standard Problem
Another facet of RoboCup lies in its role as a benchmark problem, providing a platform for assessing various theories, algorithms, and architectures. Computer chess serves as a quintessential example of such a benchmark problem, where different search algorithms were refined and evaluated. The culmination of this endeavor was epitomized by the victory of the Deep Blue team over Garry Kasparov, a human grandmaster, adhering to official rules, thus nearing the intended aim of the computer chess challenge.
The success of computer chess as a benchmark problem can be attributed in part to the clarity of progress evaluation. Progress in research could be gauged by the system’s strength, as indicated by its rating. However, as computer chess approached its zenith, the need for a new challenge became evident. This challenge had to catalyze the development of technologies essential for future industries. We believe that RoboCup is poised to meet this demand.
Comparison Between Chess and RoboCup
RoboCup is engineered to address real-world complexities within a constrained environment, while still maintaining manageable problem sizes and research expenses. It offers a comprehensive research platform that spans various domains of AI and robotics, including real-time sensor fusion, reactive behavior, strategy acquisition, learning, planning, multi-agent systems, context recognition, vision, decision-making, motor control, and intelligent robot management.
RoboCup’s Approach to Rule Changes
The rules of RoboCup are subject to evolution in order to drive advancements in robot science and technology, and to align league challenges more closely with real-world scenarios. Rather than enforcing artificial setups to enhance performance within specific leagues, rule changes are carefully deliberated by each league’s technical committee on an annual basis. Input from participants and other experts in the field is solicited to draft new rules. Additionally, roadmaps outlining goals for the next 5-10 years are regularly discussed and utilized as a reference point for annual rule adjustments.