The Robofoot Group at École Polytechnique de Montréal has been chosen to participate in the next Robot World Cup Soccer Games -- RoboCup 2005 -- in the Middle-Size League category. The games will be held from July 13 to 19 in Osaka, Japan. This is the first time a team from Québec or Canada has qualified for the Robot World Cup Soccer Games in this category, which is the most demanding one of all.

"With Robofoot, Québec is joining the world elite in robot soccer," stated Julien Beaudry, a master's student in electrical engineering at the Polytechnique and the project's director.

Robots able to beat the world champions by 2050!
An annual competition that began in Japan in 1997, Robocup is above all an international scientific research initiative. Indeed, the organizers' ultimate goal is to create a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players that are able to win a soccer game against the world's soccer champions by 2050! In the meantime, over 100,000 people attend the event each year.

Among the best 30 teams in the world
In order to participate in RoboCup, each team must present a file including a technical description of the robots, a demonstration video and a list of relevant scientific publications. Only those teams that display the best technique and that are most likely to offer an exciting game are selected. It was based on these criteria that Robofoot, a group of about 10 students in electrical, computer and mechanical engineering, was selected from among some 30 international competitors from countries such as Japan, Germany and China.

Today's most exciting league
The Middle-Size League is the category with the most challenges, given that the robots must be designed and made entirely (mechatronics, software, perception and intelligence) by participating multidisciplinary university teams. The robots are autonomous and communicate based on pre-established game patterns coordinated by a supervision program.

Teams of four to seven mid-sized robots (30 to 50 cm wide with a maximum height of 80 cm) with all sensors on board will compete in the league. The games, which have two 10-minute periods, take place on a playing field measuring 8m by 12m. The robots communicate using wireless telecommunication. No external intervention by humans is allowed, except to add robots to the field or remove them.

"At the present time, this is the league with the most technical aspects and the one that is the closest to real soccer. It is undeniably the most exciting and thrilling league of all," Mr. Beaudry stated. Robofoot's objective for its first experience in the games: to reach the semi-finals.

The Robofoot Group is also focused on researching various applications of cooperative multi-robot systems and would like robot soccer to become a test platform for several undergraduate and post-graduate projects at Polytechnique. 

For further information about RoboCup: www.robocup2005.org

Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering institutions, in terms of both teaching and research. It is the largest engineering school in Québec as far as its student population and the scope of its research activity are concerned. École Polytechnique provides instruction in 11 engineering specialties and is responsible for more than one-quarter of university research in engineering in Québec. The school has 220 professors and nearly 6,000 students. Its operating budget is $80 million, in addition to a $61-million research and infrastructure fund. Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.

Further information:
Julien Beaudry
Cellular : (514) 816-9580
École Polytechnique de Montréal

Chantal Cantin, Director
Communications and Public Relations
École Polytechnique de Montréal
(514) 340-4711, ext. 4970