Search Results (3)

Humanoid soccer robots operate in dynamic, unpredictable, and often partially observable settings. Effective teamwork, sound decision-making, and real-time collaboration are critical to competitive performance. In this paper, a biologically inspired swarm-intelligence framework for humanoid soccer is proposed, comprising (1) a low-overhead communication User Datagram Protocol (UDP) optimized for minimal bandwidth and graceful degradation under packet loss; (2) an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-based decentralized role allocation mechanism that dynamically assigns attackers, midfielders, and defenders based on real-time pheromone trails and local fitness metrics; (3) a Reynolds’ flocking-based formation control scheme, modulated by role-specific weighting to ensure fluid transitions between offensive and defensive formations; and (4) an adaptive behavior layer integrating lightweight reinforcement signals and proactive failure-recovery strategies to maintain cohesion under robot dropouts. Simulations demonstrate a 25–40% increase in goals scored and an 8–10% boost in average ball possession compared to centralized baselines. Full article

Creating an adult-sized humanoid robot with stable walking capabilities is a major challenge in robotics. While many renowned research groups focus on robots for perilous work environments and precision tasks, our approach simplifies balance control, making it accessible to robotics research groups and educational institutes. This facilitates the development of complex functionalities such as vision and object manipulation for adult-sized humanoids. This research article introduces RoboMan II, an advanced version of RoboMan I, which won the most prestigious award in all humanoid robot leagues at RoboCup 2016 due to its exceptional performance in walking and playing soccer. RoboMan II features significant improvements in performance, inherent stability, recovery after falls, and balance control. To facilitate its development, RoboMan II is lighter and incorporates a modified foot and parallel structure for its leg to boost its inherent stability, along with a two-stage balance control system for Immediate Response and Gradual Adaptation, enhancing its adaptability in various environments. Our simulation results demonstrate that RoboMan II’s walking stability on flat surfaces improved significantly in the face of minor perturbations, with the number of steps within the stable region increasing from 24%, with only the immediate controller to 58% when both controllers were used. Similar improvements were observed on inclined surfaces. Additionally, the 3D CAD files for all of the robot parts are released as open source in conjunction with this paper to facilitate reproduction and further innovation. The forthcoming RoboMan III will incorporate custom servo motors for increased speed, torque, and enhanced fall recovery, preventing disengagement of the gear box after a fall. It promises to be an invaluable asset for research and practical applications in humanoid robotics. Full article

Robotic football with humanoid robots is a multidisciplinary field connecting several scientific fields. A challenging task in the design of a humanoid robot for the AndroSot and HuroCup competitions is the realization of movement on the field. This study aims to determine a walking pattern for a humanoid robot with an impact on its dynamic stability and behavior. The design of the proposed technical concept depends on its stability management mechanism, walking speed and such factors as the chosen stability approaches. The humanoid robot and its versatility, along with the adaptability of the terrain, are somewhat limited due to the complexity of the walking principle and the control of the robot’s movement itself. The technical concept uses dynamic stability as the potential force of the inertial bodies and their parts so that the humanoid robot does not overturn. The total height of the robot according to the rules of the competition will be 50 cm. In the performed experiment, only the lower part of the humanoid robot with added weight was considered, which is more demanding due to the non-use of the upper limbs for stabilization. The performed experiment verified the correctness of the design, where the torso of the robot performed eight steps in inclinations of a roll angle +4/−2° and a pitch angle +4/−6°. Full article