Mackworth [#!mackworth1993:seeingrobots!#] introduced the idea of
using soccer-playing robots in research. Unfortunately, the idea did
not get the proper response until the idea was further developed and
adapted by Kitano, Asada, and Kuniyoshi, when proposing a Japanese
research programme, called Robot J-League. During the autumn of 1993,
several American researchers took interest in the Robot J-League, and
it thereafter changed name to the Robot World Cup Initiative or
RoboCup for short. RoboCup is sometimes referred to as
the RoboCup challenge or the RoboCup domain.
In 1995,
[#!kitano1995:robocup!#] proposed the first Robot
World Cup Soccer Games and Conferences to take place in 1997. The
aim of RoboCup was to present a new standard problem for AI and
robotics, somewhat jokingly described as the life of AI after
Deep Blue. RoboCup differs from
previous research in AI by focusing on a distributed solution
instead of a centralised solution, and by challenging researchers from
not only traditionally AI-related fields, but also researchers in
the areas of robotics, sociology, real-time mission critical systems,
etc.
To co-ordinate the efforts of all researchers, the RoboCup Federation was formed. The goal of RoboCup Federation is to promote RoboCup, for example by annually arranging the world cup tournament. Members of the RoboCup Federation are all active researchers in the field, and represent a number of universities and major companies. As the body of researchers is quite large and widespread, local committees are formed to promote RoboCup-related events in their geographical area.