Robots battle in sport and for student minds

With a swift back and forth motion, the goalkeeper closely guarded his territory, using his arms, wheels and three sonar sensors.

This three pound, one-foot tall robot made from Legos isn't your average soccer player - or your average toy.

The goalie joined five other Lego Mindstorms robots in a three-on-three soccer match at the University of South Florida Wednesday, where about 70 people watched the bots battle it out at the school's engineering building.

"The most important question isn't 'Why soccer?' It's '"Why robots?' said computer science professor Miguel Labrador, who worked with the robots' six students creators as a part of the university's Research Experience for Undergraduates.

The summer research program serves 14 students from universities nationwide and is funded by the National Science Foundation. The soccer bots work was one of several projects this summer.

Labrador says robots integrate several components of computer science, such as image processing and operating system programming.

The robots use sensor cameras and sonar technology to recognize objects such as the ball and goal, so they can react accordingly. Bluetooth communications are used to exchange messages and strategy.

But the robots are more than a summertime diversion for the onlookers and participants. It's also a recruitment tool.

"A lot of this is to try and make engineering cool and not just a nerdy profession," said John Wiencek, dean of the College of Engineering. "Our economy is really hinging on our capacity to build the next great doodad."

About 20 of the game watchers were children eager to learn anything and everything about these athletic bots - from how much battery power they use to how much they cost.

"Can it do anything else besides play soccer?" asked 10-year-old Kanad Sarkar.

"Yes, it can," said Kenneth Mendoza, 30, who designed the sonar-sensored goalie. "It's pretty much up to your imagination."

For more information or to buy the programmable Lego Mindstorms NXT robots, visit http://mindstorms.legos.com.