Category Archives: RoboTeam Twente

Test Tournament in Mannheim

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And once again, our team is continuing at high speed this year! Hardly have our guests from Uruguay returned to their home country, and we’re already moving forward in with a test tournament hosted by the world champion TIGERs Mannheim and their Dual University Baden-Württemberg as part of the Bundesgartenshow 2023 in Mannheim.

And so it’s already 07:54 AM for us at Erlangen Central Station, as we’re off to Baden-Württemberg, this time only using regional trains and the Germany Ticket for cost reasons. Surprisingly, there are no train delays, and by 1:00 PM, we can enter the sacred halls of the BuGa.

As with all our other trips, the first order of business in Mannheim is: Arrive, unpack, and start. It doesn’t take half an hour before the entire space provided to us is occupied with various equipment, chargers, and soldering irons.

Soon, the field for testing should be available, allowing us to make our robots operational. But first, it’s about being patient and settling in: Welcome to BuGa 2023 Mannheim!

PS: A fun fact on the side: We’re accommodated on the BuGa premises in the hall for “Beneficial Organisms and Pests.” No, we’re not pests; instead, they’re referring to the wall’s artwork. There simply wasn’t space for us in other halls.

RoboCup: RoboTeam Twente vs. KIKS

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The next game of the knockout phase takes place this morning at 09:00 AM. It’s between the Dutch team RoboTeam Twente and KIKS. You can find the link to the live ticker as always on Twente’s YouTube platform or at this link.

First Half

05:00 The game starts with a 15-minute delay.
04:29 Not much is happening in the game yet, the ball is moving back and forth. KIKS takes a timeout.
04:03 Attack on the Twente goal, Dutch defenders are moving too slowly. Eventually, a shot is taken by KIKS, but the goal doesn’t count because: Too fast! Lucky for Twente.
03:48 KIKS takes another timeout, but like the last timeout, it seems only software is being fixed; no one is running onto the field.
03:33 There’s a harmless shot on Twente’s goal, which comes to a stop in the out-of-bounds area. But where are the defenders? A more accurate shot could have been a goal!
03:05 Another shot on goal, but the Twente keeper can save it. The defense seems to be getting stronger.
02:00 Once again, excellent work by the Twente goalkeeper. He successfully stops a direct, fairly fast shot on goal. Interestingly, the ball ends exactly on the goal line, and there’s a discussion about whether it was a goal. The Organizing Committee gets involved too. Decision: No goal, the ball must fully cross the line, not just partially.
01:27 And well saved again by the Twente goalkeeper! But the defenders don’t seem very motivated; instead of closing the goal as quickly as possible, they prefer to move away!
01:11 Now the TIGERs computer referee goes wild and reports a goal even though the ball is miles away from the goal.
01:08 Initially, a goal for KIKS, and it seems pretty clear. Nevertheless, Twente raises a challenge flag, meaning they’re questioning the referee’s decision. And with success, the goal doesn’t count! And the time is rolled back to 01:22? Not entirely understandable, but let’s accept it; after all, KIKS accepted the decision too.
00:40 After many duels in the Dutch half, the expected goal finally arrives: KIKS now leads 1-0.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 1 KIKS
-01:12 Initially, it looked like a successful attack from Twente. But then KIKS wins the duel and shoots towards the Dutch goal. Instead of trying to stop the ball (there were plenty of defenders), the backtracking defenders simply let it roll, and the goalkeeper turns awkwardly, resulting in a goal.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 2 KIKS

Second Half

05:00 The second half is kicked off. Let’s see if Twente can make a comeback. During the 5-minute break, all robots were checked, which gives some hope.
04:34 Twente successfully intercepted the ball, but the receiver is turned, causing them to lose possession. Fortunately, the goalkeeper is once again on the spot, defusing the situation in the last moment.
03:47 But even the standout player of this match, the Twente goalkeeper, is just a robot, and he can’t handle every game situation. After some duels, it’s now 3-0 for KIKS.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 3 KIKS
03:21 Once again, the TIGERs Autoref recognizes a goal, but at least from my perspective, I couldn’t see one. It doesn’t count either.
03:06 Very dangerous shot on the Twente goal, but their goalkeeper once again excels and saves it.
02:18 Unfortunately, another rather unspectacular goal against Twente, making it 4-0 now.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 4 KIKS
01:14 Another shot on Twente’s goal, but once again, the keeper saves it very well. It’s a pity that in this game, he’s the shining star.
01:04 Actually defended well by a Twente bot this time. He elegantly positioned himself in the opponent’s passing lane, preventing the shot on goal.
00:02 Again, very nicely defended by a Twente defender, and with that, it’s unlikely that another goal will be scored before the end of the game.
00:00 After a last, fairly dangerous attack against Twente, the ball eventually goes out of bounds, and the game ends 4-0 in favor of KIKS. This means Twente is out of the tournament.

RoboCup: TIGERs Mannheim vs. Twente

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The next game of the day is TIGERs Mannheim against RoboTeam Twente. Because the last game lasted incredibly long, the game will start with a significant delay. But that’s not a problem since games with TIGERs Mannheim always save the schedule, as TIGERs Mannheim invariably destroys all its opponents, making the games quickly come to an end. Twente won’t have much of a chance, they should be lucky if they even get to touch the ball once. You can find the link to the game as always on Twente’s YouTube page or at this link.

Despite the highly anticipated, very one-sided game, we are still curious whether Twente can play with more robots now and if some of their bugs have been fixed. Among other things, Twente often had trouble shooting the ball during kickoff, as they repeatedly caused a double touch, which is forbidden by the rules to prevent individual robots from making “marches” through the field.

First Half

05:00 The game starts with a half-hour delay. Surprisingly, TIGERs are playing with all 11 robots in blue (just kidding), while Twente is playing with 3 robots in yellow.
04:45 Shot on goal by TIGERs Mannheim, but Twente manages to save it! That was unexpected.
04:39 Okay, it didn’t take long, goal for TIGERs.
TIGERs Mannheim 1 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
04:22 Another successful shot on goal, it’s already 2-0 for TIGERs Mannheim.
TIGERs Mannheim 2 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
04:14 This is happening too fast. Another goal, I can’t keep up with writing. They should play slower.
TIGERs Mannheim 3 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
04:02 While this would be expected from other teams, TIGERs is making some major mistakes in this game: they are occasionally not receiving their own passes. Meanwhile, Twente is holding up quite well; they can kick off, and in defense, they are shaky, although it’s still a David vs. Goliath situation.
03:55 The few passes that go wrong for TIGERs don’t stop them from immediately shooting another goal: 4-0 for TIGERs.
TIGERs Mannheim 4 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
03:44 5-0 for TIGERs…
TIGERs Mannheim 5 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
03:10 Now, the TIGERs bots have flexed a bit, playing long passing maneuvers with various chip kicks, only to shoot past the goal at a sharp angle. Still very nice to watch.
03:02 And, of course, they immediately make up for what they missed earlier: 6-0 for TIGERs Mannheim.
TIGERs Mannheim 6 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
02:53 This game may never see the second half: 7-0 for TIGERs Mannheim.
TIGERs Mannheim 7 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
02:33 Due to a ball placement, the next goal has been delayed a bit this time, but, of course, it eventually comes, and now it’s 8-0 for the robots from Mannheim.
TIGERs Mannheim 8 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
02:33 Twente is now taking a timeout, let’s see what they make of it.
02:25 And the game continues. Not much has changed; TIGERs is steadily heading towards the finish line with a score of 9-0. One more goal, and the game will end prematurely.
TIGERs Mannheim 9 : 0 RoboTeam Twente
02:12 The game could have been over in less than 2 game minutes (16 real minutes), but TIGERs Mannheim’s shot was too fast at 6.8 m/s, so it doesn’t count.
01:58 But now: 10-0 for TIGERs Mannheim, the game is officially ended with TIGERs’ victory dances and a robot version of “Eye of the Tiger”.
TIGERs Mannheim 10 : 0 RoboTeam Twente

RoboCup: RoboTeam Twente vs. RoboDragons

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The second match of the day is between the two teams RoboTeam Twente and RoboDragons. We have high hopes for a strong performance from Twente, especially since they were able to test their robots and fix bugs at the RoboCup Crailsheim, which we organized in cooperation with Gerhard Schubert at the end of March.

Since the composition of the Twente team changes completely every year, such a “pre-tournament” is immensely helpful as a dress rehearsal for the new team before the actual RoboCup. This is also the reason why Twente traditionally has moderate results in the early games of each year but improves significantly as they progress.

It’s worth mentioning that the construction and completion of the Twente robots have now become a league-wide effort: Just yesterday, a member of the mechanical team from TIGERs Mannheim helped Twente assemble two robots, and we have already provided them with several crucial components and even taken on soldering tasks for them. Regardless of being competitors, sportsmanship and friendship prevail.

Given that our bottlenecks currently lie more within other teams, our hardware teams are somewhat in idle mode. It’s all the more rewarding when you can assist another team in creating an exciting tournament.

First Half

05:00 The game seems to be starting with a significant delay. Twente appears to be facing some issues. At least their robot R2D2 seems to be having a lot of fun, spinning in circles, colliding with the barriers, and driving across the field as if it’s intoxicated.
05:00 The match is now beginning with a 15-minute delay. Twente hasn’t completely resolved all their problems but was forced to start by the tournament organizers. RoboDragons have the kickoff.
05:00 Twente seems to be playing with 4 of their robots, while RoboDragons have 8. The allowance is 11 robots per team. Twente’s bots are purple, and RoboDragons’ are black.
04:55 Goal for RoboDragons within seconds of the game. Currently, Twente doesn’t even have a goalkeeper in the goal, either because they have too few robots or their software isn’t functioning properly, and the goalkeeper isn’t in position.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 1 RoboDragons
04:24 The game is quite leisurely, but at least there’s action, unlike the previous match. RoboDragons attempt a goal, but the Twente keeper makes the save.
04:04 Neither team is getting ball placements right: While Twente is struggling on the tactical level, the dribbler of RoboDragons is too weak to control the ball effectively. Overall, RoboDragons seems to have a better handle on things.
03:45 RoboDragons call a timeout.
03:08 The automatic referee often decides on “No Progress,” indicating that the game situation hasn’t noticeably changed for at least 5 seconds. Combined with the sluggish ball placements, the game is a bit slow but still faster than our previous match.
02:34 Shot on goal by a RoboDragons bot, but the Twente keeper saves again.
02:27 But this time: A goal from the side by RoboDragons.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 2 RoboDragons
02:16 Almost a goal by Twente! However, the robot touched the ball twice in a row during the kickoff, resulting in a so-called double touch, and the game was stopped earlier.
02:08 RoboDragons immediately respond with a shot on the Dutch goal, but the ball rolls past.
01:57 But this time: RoboDragons score, making it 3-0.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 3 RoboDragons
00:31 Very fluid but slow-paced game. Nicely finished with a goal from RoboDragons at a sharp angle. RoboDragons clearly dominating the game.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 4 RoboDragons
00:12 Immediately a double goal by RoboDragons. But, of course, only 1 goal counts, extending their lead to 5 goals.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 5 RoboDragons
00:00 And that concludes the first half with RoboDragons leading 5-0 during the 5-minute halftime break.

Second Half

02:51 Another goal by RoboDragons. The Twente keeper was bystander as the ball rolled into the goal.
RoboTeam Twente 0 : 8 RoboDragons

RoboCup Crailsheim: ER-Force vs. RoboTeam Twente

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Now it’s time for the last match of the evening: ER-Force vs. RoboTeam Twente.

Between the matches, we tested all the robots, diligently continued working on the new robot, and fixed numerous bugs. Around 8:40 pm, we kick off the final game of the evening. With no spectators by now, we and RoboTeam Twente are sitting comfortably in the hall, sharing a pizza, and watching our robots navigate.

Despite the late hour, all participants could thoroughly enjoy the peaceful yet captivating game. At halftime, the score is already 6:0 in favor of ER-Force. The game flows smoothly, and we can cheer on the robots without significant interruptions. The effort has paid off, as all robots are moving largely flawlessly across the large field, allowing our team members to relax and watch the game.

During the second half, our team diligently fights against a RoboTeam Twente that has been getting stronger as the tournament progresses, scoring one goal after another. As a result, we can eventually decide the game prematurely with a 10:0 victory for ER-Force.