CAMBADA beat the Eindhoven robots by 2-1 in the preliminary round. The team’s students had to change their robots a number of times because of technical problems. For example the robots couldn’t see well because there was too much sunlight, passes weren’t received properly, and problems with the compasses caused the keeper’s software to crash in the first half, through which the robot had to be taken off the field. A second match against CAMBADA in the preliminary round showed a better result, ending in 2-2.

But everything went perfectly for the TU/e team in the final. Before half-time the score was already 4-0 to TU/e. Just about all the technical problems had been solved, and thanks to a lot of passes the robots were able to keep the ball a lot of the time. By then the TU/e students had managed to solve the compass problems with the keeper. The Eindhoven team was able to keep all the balls out of the net, except for one: in the last minute the Portuguese team put a single goal into the net in the closing minute.

“This win is of course very encouraging for the World Championship”, said team captain Lotte de Koning after the finale. “But we can’t rest on our laurels. We’ve done a lot of testing, but we’re aiming for an even higher level of strategic and dynamic play, with more passing.”

The Portuguese Open is the only RoboCup tournament in Europe this year in which the soccer robots from the Middle Size League play - which includes those from TU/e. The robots play fully autonomously, without human control.

The tournament in Portugal is an important preparation for the participating teams in the World Championship, which will be held in Hefei, China, from 17 to 23 June. That’s right in the lion’s den, because the TU/e team has frequently played in the final against the Chinese team Water. The TU/e team hopes to prolong its world title in China, which it successfully defended last year in Brazil.

The TU/e Care Robot AMIGO took seconds place in Brazil in the @Home competition, in which robots have to carry out a range of household tasks. In their preparations for the World Championship, the team with AMIGO will take part in German Open RoboCup, from 24 to 26 April in Magdeburg, Germany.

Source: TU/e press team