RoboCup

RMIT United · 1997–2000

In 1997, RMIT University designed and built a team of five autonomous robots to compete in the inaugural RoboCup soccer competition held in Nagoya, Japan. To an average spectator, the level of game play was low. Robots headed off in the wrong direction, kicked own goals, chased after spectators, stopped moving completely, fell apart on the field, and in one case almost caught fire.

The human team members saw nothing but opportunity. The goal set by the RoboCup Federation was a long way off, some still think it can’t be achieved:

“By 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world champion team in soccer.”

RMIT competed in Paris in 1998, Stockholm in 1999 (where the team won its first match), and Melbourne in 2000, held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. In 1997 the team was 5 people from 2 departments. By 2000, RMIT United involved around 50 people across 5 departments.