A very cool project is underway at Carnegie Mellon that will hopefully be expanded by other research groups around the country. If robots can successfully play a slightly modified version of soccer against real people, just think about all of the other applications they may be able to perform.

"Researchers constructed the soccer playing robots by modifying Segway personal transporters. The two-wheeled transporters are controlled by two on-board laptops and can play soccer by pushing a ball along the ground. Running into the ball at speed enables them to pass to one another and even shoot for goal."

"But the plan of the researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, is not just to create a robot soccer team. The droids are designed to play the game with humans riding ordinary Segways."