NOTE FROM KIM:

University students from around the world
are attempting to build various forms of
soccer-playing robots with the long-term
goal of fielding a robot soccer team good
enough to play a human team by 2050.

The Top 8 Surprises at
the 2005 RoboCup U.S. Open

8> The newly redesigned, more aerodynamic square soccer ball didn’t perform as well as expected.

7> Hooligans disrupt the game by uploading viruses, being rude to Radio Shack employees and yelling out quotes from “Star Wars.”

6> The Stanford team was disqualified when testing uncovered traces of WD-40.

5> Official game ball is actually the head of Isaac Asimov.

4> The event was cancelled after all robots were recruited to replace striking hockey players.

3> UCLA team’s goalie turns out to be a cybernetic Peter Weller.

2> Brazil’s team made of old tin cans and cheap AM radios still kicks the US team’s positronic asses.

and the Number 1 Surprise at the 2005 RoboCup U.S. Open…

1> Players unfazed despite getting hit repeatedly in the nuts.

.

Credits:

Selected from 36 submissions from 12 contributors.
This week’s list authors are:

Bill Ervin, Tigard, OR — 1, 8
Marcelo Rinesi, Buenos Aires, Argentina — 2
Barry Wallace, Knoxville, TN — 3, 5
James Knowles, Bellingham, WA — 4, 7
Brandon Hunt, Braintree, MA — 6, Banner tag
Kim Moser, New York, NY — List Moderator