Robot Soccer: A Test-bed for Affordable Automation Solutions?

This paper refers to seven years experience in the FIRA robot soccer community. Although the number of teams has increased constantly it has to be conceded that up to now scientific results from robot soccer haven't been an issue for the industry. As many teams have to undertake a lot of efforts to finance their participation it is reasonable to go further into the question if and weather robot soccer can contribute not only to university education but also to real-world needs and the future of automation.