The World Cup might be over, but students from Mexico participating in an international exchange program at the University of Arizona (UA) still had a few matches to go.
With a special designed soccer ball that transmits infrared signals along with stand-alone robots the students created themselves,
The games began with 34 industrial engineering and mechatronics undergraduates from Tecnológico de Monterrey, or ITESM, who showcased their engineering skills by building stand-alone robots that played fútbol with specially designed soccer balls that transmits infrared signals. The competition took place on Friday, July 18, 2014 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the UA Bookstore lobby.
“The soccer playing robots are an excellent opportunity for the students to demonstrate their engineering skills and passion for sports,” said Ricardo Valerdi, associate professor in systems and industrial engineering, who taught the three-week class. “They’ve embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and a competitive spirit.”
The Soccer RoboCup Junior tournament wraps up a systems engineering class that is part of a UA Office of Global Initiatives and Outreach College exchange program with Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Hermosillo campus in Sonora, Mexico.
“These are some of the best engineering students from Mexico, and we are pleased to have them at the UA,” said Valerdi.
The winning team at the Soccer RoboCup Junior tournament was ‘Team Ochoa’ named after Mexican goalie and fútbol stud, Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa.
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Photos provided by the UA College of Engineering
