During the annual STORM_SAFE meeting, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) showed how robotic football can be used to test the reliability of autonomous systems. TU/e used soccer robots to illustrate how complex systems can be designed to make fast and accurate decisions in dynamic environments. The demonstration included a robotic penalty kick, tested against human goalkeepers, to showcase real-time perception, decision-making and control.
Formal methods in practice
There is serious engineering behind the demo. TU/e showed how formal methods and Synthesis-Based Engineering (SBE) are used to design systems that are provably correct. Rather than making assumptions, system behaviour can be verified through formal specifications, model checking, and automatic synthesis. Tech United's autonomous robots exemplify this approach: they operate fully autonomously, respond to changing conditions, and behave in close accordance with their control models derived from formal methods.”
Beyond robot football
The same engineering principles can be applied to safety-critical domains such as water management and critical infrastructure. Designing systems that are predictable, robust and verifiable directly supports the objectives of STORM_SAFE.
Tech United is a leading team in RoboCup’s Middle Size League, having secured its eighth world title in 2024 before transitioning towards humanoid leagues. This demonstrates the maturity and scalability of their autonomous systems engineering approach. Further information can be found at Tech United (Robotics)