• "RoboCup German Open 2007" at HANNOVER MESSE. • More than 150 teams from 13 countries to compete under the EXPO canopy • TectoYou gets young people interested in technology They kick like professional soccer players, cross the ball, dribble, sidestep their opponents, outwit the goalkeeper and shoot - the autonomous robots are sure to be a crowd-puller when they are in action at HANNOVER MESSE 2007 (the Hannover Fair). From 17 to 21 April - virtually running alongside HANNOVER MESSE - the "RoboCup German Open 2007" provides sport, fun, excitement, and high-tech innovations at the highest level. Robots, including dogs, two-legged humanoid robots, soccer robots, and service and rescue robots, will be competing in eight different leagues in the pavilions under the Expo canopy.
More than 150 teams from 13 countries will be taking part. RoboCup is part of the activity and information initiative TectoYou.TectoYou is an initiative launched by HANNOVER MESSE focusing on youth, technology and the future. It is aimed at school children, high school graduates, and students. Young visitors can take part in events and visit the stands to experience the excitement and career opportunities in the technology industry at first hand.
They will also get the chance to meet representatives of companies and associations face to face. RoboCup is definitely one of the highlights. The top youth teams in Germany will be among those competing for prizes with dancing and kicking robots they have designed themselves. They opened the RoboCup season just a few weeks ago at two RoboCupJunior tournaments in Magdeburg and Vöhringen, Germany, where they qualified for the 6th open national RoboCupJunior Championships in Hannover. What is RoboCup? The national and international Championships were first started in 1997 by the RoboCup international research initiative.
They give scientists from all over the world the opportunity to put their research results to the test by going head-to-head in a sporting environment. The RoboCup researchers have set themselves an ambitious target - to develop a team of robots by 2050 that is capable of beating a human team.
Having fun with artificial intelligence and mobile robotics
The "RoboCup German Open" is a fun environment designed to demonstrate and test the possibilities of artificial intelligence and mobile robotics. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems and the RoboCup National Committee, Deutsche Messe offers the participating teams the chance to test their (artificial) intelligence in an exciting tournament staged on around 5,300 m² of playing field.
RoboCup finals the day after the trade fair
When the doors to HANNOVER MESSE 2007 close on Friday (20 April), the German Open will be nearing its thrilling climax, as the finals of all eight leagues and RoboCupJunior are to be held on 21 April (Saturday). Previously, the teams - under the supervision of their "coaches" - will have competed from the second day of the trade fair (Tuesday, 17 April) in the preliminary and final rounds for a place in the final. RoboCup is sponsored by ifm electronic GmbH, Brunel GmbH, Siemens AG A&D, Pepperl & Fuchs GmbH, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Sick AG, Harting KGaA and Festo AG & Co. KG.
Find out more on this event on the Internet at www.robocup-german-open.de
TectoYou
Deutsche Messe in Hannover organizes TectoYou, while Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister of Education and Research, is the event's patron. Numerous institutions, associations and enterprises have already signed up as sponsors and support the event by staging their own activities.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also supports the new initiative.More information on the TectoYou program, details on how to take part and register, and directions to the venue are available on the Internet at www.tectoyou.de