David R. Seibert
Title
Designing Motion Patterns to Increase Effectiveness of the Goal Keeper in Robot Soccer
Abstract
Robcup is an international research initiative with the stated goal of creating a team of humanoid robots to beat the human soccer champion team by the year 2050. The goal keeper plays a central role in robot soccer, especially when the opponents are capable of good perception, ball control and team collaboration. Since the Aldebaran Nao humanoid robots used in the Standard Platform League of RoboCup possess the ability to kick the ball all the way across the six meter-long field, it is essential that the goal keeper be able to track the ball and move quickly to block the goal while maintaining an accurate estimate of its position in the field. This paper describes the development of motion patterns that significantly increase the effectiveness of the goal keeper to block shots on the goal, thereby increasing the excitement of the game.