2006 RoboCup Start:
Simulation of a Chemical Disaster

On June 13 the 2006 RoboCup started with a severe "accident": three cars had crashed on the Bürgerweide, right in front of hall 5. At 31 degree celsius, the volunteering victims were spread out in front of overturned cars, from one wreck smoke, that signified a chemical substance, emerged. Rescue workers recovered the injured with the support of robots.

[ Jun 14, 2006]  This set-up was organized by Andreas Birk, IUB Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Birk is coordinator of the Rescue Robot League. To demonstrate the support robots can provide during rescue operations, he enlisted the help of the Bremen Fire Brigade and the Technische Hilfswerk.

Behind the fun and games facade of the RoboCup it is the most important convention for new developments in robotics. In order for robots to actually bring fast aid to helpless victims, various technologies must all work together in perfect harmony including design principles of autonomous agents, multi-agent collaboration, strategy acquisition, real-time reasoning, robotics and sensorfusion. The "Chemical Disaster" on the Bremen Bürgerweide was a foretaste of what will become reality – cooperation between man and robot.