'RoboCup' Soccer Match Is a Challenge for Silicon Rookies

Abstract

NAGOYA, JAPAN—Soccer coaches and fans wouldn't ordinarily tolerate players who can't kick, wander the field as if blind, and shove the ball into their own goal as often as into their opponents'. But this was the norm at a recent soccer tournament here. And yet the coaches were proud of their teams, and the fans actually cheered. All bumbling was forgiven because the players were robots.