The University of Toronto Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR) team, composed of engineering and computer science students, is currently designing and constructing a team of soccer-playing robots that will compete in the 2002 RoboCup competition in Fukuoka, Japan, in June.
The U of T AIR team will be competing in the F180 Small-Sized League. They are currently constructing a squad of seven small robots for the competition: Once the game begins, the robots play autonomously, receiving input from a camera mounted over the playing field and utilizing a predetermined, programmed strategy.
An annual event, the RoboCup—essentially the World Cup of robot soccer—has one ultimate goal: the development of a team of humanoid robots, by the year 2050, that can defeat top human players in a game of soccer. It brings teams from universities around the world together and provides a forum for research and development in the engineering and artificial intelligence fields.
The team is still seeking sponsors to support its effort to compete in Fukuoka this June. Several University of Toronto groups have generously supported the initiative, including the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Engineering Alumni Association, Engineering Society, Alumni Association and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
If you would like more information about AIR or would like to support the team, please e-mail [email protected], or visit www.cs.utoronto.ca/~air.
