Summary: They shuffle around, find the ball, plan their next move, and, of course, kick—all on their own. Designed by Manuela Veloso, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and her team, these soccer-playing robots stand at the forefront of machines that can learn about the world and act appropriately. They can sense their surroundings and respond to changing conditions, like the arrival of another player in the vicinity. The long-term goal of Veloso's and other AI labs? To win the World Cup against humans by 2050. But they've got a few bugs to work out of their 'bots—like keeping them upright. For more, watch "The Smartest Machine on Earth" on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 9pm on PBS, or online at pbs.org/nova. Original footage produced for NOVA by Michael Bicks. Video (all) © WGBH Educational Foundation NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.
