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Students from Laval University in Canada took a seat to watch the game, instead of taking hold of the controls at RoboCup, a unique robotics competition aimed at promoting artificial intelligence. The international event is an educational initiative that invites schools from around the globe to create autonomous robots in order to examine and integrate different technologies.

The Laval University team, comprised of twenty-five students, participated in RoboCupSoccer, the central focus of the RoboCup activities. The team created its robot specifically for the Small Robot League where entries cannot exceed 22 centimeters in height or 18 cm in diameter.

While searching for bearings to use on its robot, the team discovered igus® Inc.’s Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program and the extensive line of linear plain plastic bearings it offers. The team used iglide® J bearings – donated free of charge – to effectively decrease the amount of friction between the robot’s structure and the wheels’ stainless steel shaft, which in turn, eliminated any loss of power to the transmission.

At the North American RoboCup US Open 2005, the team’s robot had to, without any human intervention, follow the orders of a ground-located computer to move and strike a small ball. To accomplish this goal, the robot was equipped with artificial vision that enabled it to determine the location of the “players”, the ball and the goal.

The team was classed in third position at the event and intends to continue competing in annual RoboCup challenges. To learn more about the Laval University RoboCupSoccer team, visit www.etudiants.phy.ulaval.ca/~robocuplaval/accueil_en.htm.