SimSpark – Concepts and Application in the RoboCup 3 D Soccer Simulation League

Simulators have a long tradition within RoboCup. In the Soccer Simulation League, one of the earliest leagues within RoboCup, traditionally single-purpose robot simulators with high levels of abstraction have been used. These systems proved valuable as tools for multiagent research, but were difficult to extend. Furthermore, there were concerns that research results would not be easily transferable to the real world due to the extensive simplifications. In order to alleviate these problems, a new, more generic, and more realistic robot simulation system was proposed in the year 2003 and first used in the league’s competitions in 2004. This paper presents the architecture and concepts of this system, and its application in the RoboCup 3D Soccer Simulation League. Moreover, it presents ongoing and future development plans.