Yahoo – AFP,
Cyril Julien, 16 April 2014
 |
A robot of
Iran's Parand Azad University prepares to kick the ball during
a match against
'Mechatronics Research Laboratory; from Iran's Azad
University of Qazvin,
during the RoboCup Iran Open 2014, in Tehran,
on April 10 (AFP Photo/Behrouz
Mehri)
|
A robot of
Iran's Parand Azad University prepares to kick the ball during a match
against 'Mechatronics Research Laboratory; from Iran's Azad
University of Qazvin, during the RoboCup Iran Open 2014, in Tehran, on April 10
Tehran
(AFP) - Iran may be lumbered with economic sanctions but that did not stop a
local team of robotics experts from sweeping aside German and Dutch rivals in
football's RoboCup.
In an event
that could be considered just a fun distraction if it weren't for all the hard
work involved, the annual tournament drew an international field of competitors
last weekend.
 |
Bahareh
Forough of 'Mechatronics Research
Laboratory' from Iran's Azad University of
Qazvin adjusts a goalkeeper robot during
the RoboCup Iran Open 2014, in Tehran,
on April 10 (AFP Photo/Behrouz Mehri)
|
Standing
just 60 centimetres (24 inches) tall, the key factor in the match -- unlike in
everyday electronic games -- the robots are pre-programmed by their human
masters ahead of kick-off.
"The
robots are completely autonomous -- we don't have any control on the game and
they make their own decisions," said Novin Sharhoudi, 20, a student of
software and computer engineering at Qasvin Azad University, northwest of
Tehran.
And unlike
professional sport in which money can buy the best players, the RoboCup teams
used identical machines designed by Aldebaran Robotics, a French company that
also provided raw technical data for the programmers.
"We
process the data to improve locomotion, perception of the infrastructure and
behaviour," said Sharhoudi, referring to how and when the robots move,
kick the ball and interact with team mates across a playing surface six metres
(yards) long and three metres wide.
Without
upgrades, components
Each robot
is equipped with two cameras -- one on its head and the other on its chin -- to
see the ball and communicate with team mates via wireless networking.
Local MRL
(Mechatronics Research Laboratories) team came out on top, even though all
aspects of life in Iran are clouded by international sanctions imposed as
punishment for its disputed nuclear programme.
"We
don't get all the upgrades, we can't buy robots or some components and the
company was not in Tehran during the event so we can't repair the robots,"
said Sharhoudi.
And just as
in the beautiful game itself, no plan survives the opening whistle.
Jonas Mende
of team HTWK from Leipzig, Germany saw his robots bump into each other and
their opponents, fall over and require "time out" on the sidelines
before returning to action.
 |
Robots from
German Nao-Team HTWK of the Leipzig University of Applied
Sciences take part in
a football game against 'Dutch Nao Team' from the Van
Amsterdam University,
during the RoboCup Iran Open 2014, in Tehran, on
April 10 (AFP Photo/Behrouz
Mehri)
|
Mende was
impressed by the improvements achieved by the MRL team.
"Iranians
have made good progress since last year. We are now on the same level and they
are our main opponents," he said.
The MRL
team's victory came after a third place finish behind world champions Bremen
and Leipzig at a recent tournament in Germany.
But for
professionals taking part in RoboCup, the aim is to advance their research and
to improve design and movement in new software programmes.
"They
develop lots of skills that can be used in other areas," said Patrick de
Kok of the NAO Dutch team who took part in Tehran.
"Finding
a ball is not only for soccer but can help find a specific target during rescue
operations," he added, referring to searches in contaminated and dangerous
places.
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