Students are required to design, build, and program two robots to compete in a dynamic game of robot soccer against an opposing pair of robots.

Soccer robots must be fully autonomous, so they need to employ a variety of sensors to find the ball, point in the right direction, and stay inside the playing area. These robots use a ball that either emits infrared light, or is bright orange in colour, depending on the division. Students will need to come up with creative gameplay strategies to outsmart the opposition. Each game can be unpredictable and a lot of fun – you never know what might happen!

Due to its ease of introduction to the uninitiated, many students choose to use LEGO Mindstorms kits to build and program their robots. Other students select alternative platforms and even build their own microprocessor robots from basic electronic components. A range of sensors can be attached to all of these platforms, including electronic compasses, sonars, light sensors, infrared sensors, and cameras. 

In 2024 we will be running the lightweight division only.

The lightweight division is the mid-level division for RoboCup soccer. Robots can be made from anything – you can use LEGO, custom build your robot, or have a hybrid of both. Robots must use infrared sensors to follow a special ball which emits infrared light. Each robot must be a maximum of 1.1kg and fit within a 22cm cylinder size limit.