Coordination in Multi-robot Systems: Applications in Robotic Soccer - Agents and Artificial Intelligence - page 1

Coordination in Multi-robot Systems:
Applications in Robotic Soccer

Luís Paulo Reis 1,2 , Fernando Almeida 2,3,4 , Luís Mota 2,5 , and Nuno Lau 3,6

1 EEUM/DSI - Escola de Engenharia da Universidade do Minho,
Departamento de Sistemas de Informação, Universidade do Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
2 LIACC - Lab. Inteligência Artificial e Ciência de Computadores, Univ. Porto, Porto, Portugal
3 IEETA - Instituto de Engenharia Eletrónica e Telemática de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
4 ESTV/IPV - Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Viseu, Inst. Pol. Viseu, Viseu, Portugal
5 ISCTE-IUL - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
6 DETI/UA - Dep. Eletrónica, Telecomunicações e Informática, Univ. Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
[e-mail], [e-mail],
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Abstract. This paper briefly presents the research performed in the context of
FC Portugal project concerning coordination methodologies applied to robotic
soccer. FC Portugal's research has been integrated in several teams that have
participated with considerable success in distinct RoboCup leagues and compe-
titions. The paper includes a brief description of the main RoboCup competi-
tions in which FC Portugal (and associated teams) has participated with focus in
the simulation leagues and related challenges. It also presents a complete state
of the art concerning coordination methodologies applied to robotic soccer fol-
lowed by FC Portugal main contributions on this area. The team contributions
include methodologies for strategic reasoning, coaching, strategic positioning,
dynamic role exchange and flexible setplay definition and execution. These me-
thodologies compose a complete coordination framework that enable a robotic
team to play soccer or execute similar tasks.

Keywords: Multi-robot Systems, Multi-agent Systems, Coordination, Robotic
Soccer, RoboCup.

1 Introduction

Our main research goal is the development of a formal model for the concept of team
strategy for a competition with an opponent team having opposite goals, general
enough to be instantiated to various dynamic competitive domains such as distinct
RoboCup leagues. Aiming this general objective our research focus is also concerned
with developing general decision-making and cooperation models for soccer playing
and similar tasks. We have developed several cooperation mechanisms such as Situa-
tion Based Strategic Positioning [1, 2, 3, 4] and Dynamic Positioning and Role Ex-
change Mechanisms [1, 2, 3, 4]. These mechanisms have proven their validity by
being adopted by several teams in different leagues, namely by 5DPO [5] and by the
2008's Mid-size champions, CAMBADA [6, 7].