Fiammetta Castagnini interviewed Domenico Blosi, a researcher at the “Antonio Ruberti” Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering (DIAG) at Sapienza University in Rome, who has just returned from Leipzig, where he participated in the 20th Edition of RoboCup (June 30 – July 4) with six Nao robots [see news Nao and Penalty Shots].
Domenico was a member of the SPQR Team, created by Professor Daniele Nardi, who teaches Artificial Intelligence and manages the "Cognitive Robot Teams" Laboratory.
In this informal chat, Domenico, the Team Manager of SPQR, reveals the true spirit of RoboCup, which does not necessarily equate team victory with competition victory.
This year, notwithstanding the fact that the team did not make it to the podium, Domenico is fully satisfied for their mission to Leipzig, during which the team faced technical issues and came up with new efficient solutions.
On the field, in fact, the team faced a series of issues, including a new type of ball that confused the players and a few “injuries” that required various robotic operations.
And a fun curiosity from the interviews … the Nao’s prowess at blocking penalty kicks, just like Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, was reached by practicing with children at the RomeCup!
