Investigating the Complex with Virtual Soccer

摘要

We describe Soccer Server, a network-based simulator of soccer that provides a virtual world enabling researchers to investigate the complex system of soccer play. We identify why soccer is such a suitable domain for the creation of this kind of virtual world, and assess how well Soccer Server performs its task. Soccer Server was used in August 1997 to stage the simulation league of the first Robotic Soccer World Cup (RoboCup), held in Nagoya, Japan. This contest attracted 29 software soccer teams, designed by researchers from ten different countries. In 1998, an updated version of Soccer Server will be used to stage the second RoboCup in France, coinciding with the real World Cup of football.