What is RoboCupJunior?

RoboCupJunior is a project-oriented educational initiative that sponsors local, regional and international robotic events for young students. It is designed to introduce RoboCup to primary and secondary school children, as well as undergraduates who do not have the resources to get involved in the senior leagues. The focus in the junior league is on education. RoboCup is an international effort whose purpose is to foster Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics research by providing a standard problem where a wide range of technologies can be integrated and examined. As well, the initiative serves as a basis for project-oriented education. The ultimate goal of RoboCup is that by the middle of the 21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall play (and win!) a soccer game against the (human) world champions.

RoboCup Junior Australia

RoboCup Junior Australia and the RoboCup Junior Educational Competition were introduced to the world in Melbourne in 2000. The timing was perfect and it was tagged "The educational game of the new millennium". Since then RoboCup Junior Australia has experienced exponential growth where well established committees host major competitions in every state. RoboCup Junior is now played in 30 countries around the world and is now a regular feature of the annual university run RoboCup World Finals, where it is the largest league. Created in a true cooperative spirit, the RoboCup Junior Educational Competition encompasses not only engineering and IT skills, but extends right across a school curriculum. RoboCup Junior also addresses social development by encouraging sportsmanship, sharing, teamwork, understanding of differences between individuals and nations, cooperation and organisational skills. RoboCup Junior is able extend from the classroom with a comprehensive, relevant curriculum to regional, state, national and international competitions.

Mission Statement & Objectives

RoboCup Junior Australia aspires to be a popular educational activity of excellence. During the 20th century, science and technology have made exponential strides into the bettering of people's lives, but at the same time left many problems to solve. In the 21st century, it is essential that our cultures evolve in order to cater for new technologies. This is not a problem to be solved by one country or just a few engineers. All concerned people throughout the world must work on its on-going solution. By taking a fresh look at robots as an educational and entertaining medium, it is hoped that RoboCup Junior Australia will contribute to the development of 21st century society.

Objectives

1. To encourage young people to take an interest in scientific and technological fields, to cultivate their interest through robotic competitions through hands on creation.
2. RoboCup Junior Australia will help young people to expand their social, intellectual and problem solving skills, helping them to develop into creative and independent adults.
3. To provide a forum, which will allow more people to appreciate the co-existence between science, technology and human kind.
4. To create an environment that will encourage people from all over the world to share their experience with science and technology, thereby contributing to its development.
5. To use robotics as a vehicle to foster the development of an internationally-based intellectual cooperative.
6. lThe emphasis will be on learning and enjoyment rather than competing to win.
7. Participants will be required to share technological developments in order to ensure the improved quality of the competition rather than allow an individual team's dominance.
8. RoboCup Junior Australia is an educational activity, which will nurture understanding between different nationalities via the opportunity to compete in an educational robotics competition.
9. 10. RoboCup Junior Australia must remain accessible to students around the world.