Apr 23 2008Run For The Hills Or The TV?: Robot Soccer Players To Compete With Humans By 2050
The Robocup German Open is in full effect (April 21-25) and it's every bit as frightening as you'd expect. The only thing I found comfort in was that the robots are clearly too stupid to distinguish a soccer ball from an orange tennis ball. Those stupid bastards. We're still doomed though. According to Stefan Kohlbrecher, a member of the Technical University of Darmstadt's Darmstadt Dribblers, "The goal of the RoboCup is to compete against human world champions with robots by the year 2050." Uh oh. No word on whether the robots will be equipped with rockets and laser cannons, but as far as ratings go, I think it's a no-brainer.
Two videos from the 2007 cup after the jump -- one teaser trailer, and one of the final match in the humanoid division.
Robotic soccer players seek to challenge humans by 2050 [engadget]
Thanks to Shawn, who once built a robot that could play badminton, for the tip
Reader Comments
1. Ryan Brown - April 23, 2008 12:40 PM
first! + i could kick the crap out of these robots for sure. . .
2. damn luddites - April 23, 2008 12:45 PM
can't wait until they get these prototypes perfected and then make the full sized robots. Giant soccer playing robots, with super-extending "arms" for the goalie. could you imagine a human on the field running into a 7 foot tall, 300 pound, steel robot.... ouch
3. damn luddites - April 23, 2008 12:46 PM
oh yeah, and FAKE!
4. Jumpin_J - April 23, 2008 1:14 PM
1) Luddites: You're a tool. You wouldn't know what fake was if you grabbed Pam Anderson's breasts
2) Thanks Fish. I see this article and now all I can think of is Gary Numan's "Down In The Park":
"Down in the park
Where the machmen meet
The machines are playing `kill-by-numbers
Down in the park with a friend called `five
Come to zom-zoms, a place to eat
Like it was built in one day
You can watch the humans
Try to run
Oh, look, theres a rape machine
Id go outside if it looks the other way
You wouldnt believe
The things they do"
5. etch - April 23, 2008 1:29 PM
i can't imagine slide tackling or being slide tackled by a robot will be particularly fun. maybe people will be stronger by 2050?
6. SmokingGirl - April 23, 2008 2:28 PM
I'm so tired of robot posts...
7. Scott - April 23, 2008 3:42 PM
This guy seems stuck on robots, legos and mods involving old video games. Getting somewhat boring and I don't even care for the word boring.
8. Angel - April 23, 2008 3:45 PM
Awee man, I was kinda hoping for OSAKA to win the game
9. damn luddites - April 23, 2008 4:06 PM
Jumpin_J(ackass): I might be a tool, but you apparently have no sense of humor. I refer you to the post about Jessica Rabbit, where OK wrote "FAKE".
BlackSamTX responded with "#1... are you serious? No shit? It's really a fake? Fucking idiot.".
And finally Bonjoor replied to Sam with "n' a pas compris la blague..."
so Jack, from where I'm standing, you seem to be the tool
10. scott sucks - April 24, 2008 2:46 AM
hey scott you suck
11. butter_toast - April 25, 2008 10:39 AM
so tell me...
why would we wanna play against robits?
i mean we already have robits that demise us in other areas... like chess!