Video: Nanosoccer... Oh. My. God.

Sometimes human awe and incredulity can only be invoked with the help of moving images. A truism related to overzealous police and nanobots alike. We've heard about the RoboCup nanosoccer exhibit since it was first on show back in 2007. However, it took this video of a microbot pushing a football on a field smaller than a grain of rice to fully ratchet our jaws to the floor. See what we mean after the break.

[via Medgadget]

[waiownsyou @ May 21st 2008 4:27AM]

Finally, a sport I understand.

[Totalfixation @ May 21st 2008 4:31AM]

First thing came to mind was you must not be too bright, but I'm just joking.

[triforceOFcourage @ May 21st 2008 4:50AM]

G** d***. That's all I can say.


I can't wait until these nanobots can give me some "Maximum Power!" Or Cloak...I do like to sneak around sometimes.

[LordFarkward @ May 21st 2008 4:54AM]

@triforce

after all this huge leap in scientific and technological advancement, all you can say is "guy dick"??

hur hur hur

[The Apple @ May 21st 2008 5:41AM]

@ Lord Farkward,

Im guessing he meant God Damn, NO OFFENCE
He used Asterisks for religious reasons.

[monkfishbandana @ May 21st 2008 6:38AM]

@ The Apple

How about this one:

It was s**casm.

[LordFarkward @ May 21st 2008 6:52AM]

ooh ooh ooh i know i know!

erm... "succasm"?

[MoonMan @ May 21st 2008 11:54AM]

@ The Apple

OMG, your complete lack of understanding the obvious joke intended has won you, even though it's only May, Moron of the Year award for 2008. You're also currently on the leader board for Idiot of the Century, but don't worry, there's still 92 years left for someone to out-do your stupidity.

[ddub @ May 21st 2008 1:25PM]

soulcasm (sole - kasem) noun - a massive void where your sould should be

[ddub @ May 21st 2008 1:26PM]

Oops.. sorry forget my comment, I think I'm still not awake yet.

[Paulmichael @ May 21st 2008 4:31AM]

What exactly makes up these nanobots? And how are they controlled?

[LondonConsultant @ May 21st 2008 4:58AM]

They're controlled by fear. Ferguson will flush them down the toilet if they don't beat Chelsea tonight...

[dkrift @ May 21st 2008 12:53PM]

@LondonConsultant I hear Abromavich will replace the whole squad with those bots.

[annoyed @ May 21st 2008 4:37AM]

there's a nanomagnet on the other side

[Ian @ May 21st 2008 4:40AM]

yea i was going to say are they radio controlled or what?

[Brian (redban) @ May 21st 2008 4:42AM]

Imagine the future.. our bodies having small robots in them to scrape away the aids, brush out our lungs, and take over bodies to worship the great robot god!!

[Funktastic @ May 21st 2008 8:50AM]

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords

[Neoprimal @ May 21st 2008 9:19AM]

That never gets old.


Just kidding.

[Denver_80203 @ May 22nd 2008 1:37AM]

I'm just worried about the nanos rioting in the stands when the Bits are given a red card after kicking a white blood cell in the shin.

[HydePark @ May 21st 2008 4:43AM]

I'll bet that Chelsea football club owner Mr. Abramovich is already looking for a way to buy this for his team.

[Maztec @ May 21st 2008 4:47AM]

I would not mind some type of nano hair bot that was a gel I spread on daily that kept my hair groomed and obedient. Imagine shaving without the shaving!

Only problem would be if you swallowed and it messed up your scilia or you got them on your eyebrows/eyelashes... Oops!

Just imagine the places these thin...err....nevermind.

[Andrew @ May 21st 2008 7:01PM]

That reminds me of a shaving gel commercial where they zoom in on the skin and you see all these girls dancing around your hair follicles.

[Andrew @ May 21st 2008 7:02PM]

Here's that commercial

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eLGVWBncasw

[whatphone @ May 21st 2008 4:58AM]

look at it, sooo sweeet. having plenty of fun there :)

nano stuff. really good for us, especially the nanotubes... a bit like asbestos. But hey, no pain no gain :)

[kicks @ May 21st 2008 5:04AM]

now why couldn't they make two of those and make them play NANOPONG!!!
now that would be a massive hit...

[Mic2000 @ May 21st 2008 5:10AM]

Totally agree, that would be... awesome

[Mimi @ May 21st 2008 5:21AM]

OFFSIDE!!!!

[Will H. @ May 21st 2008 6:34AM]

I've seen the Spanish version of this video before, with an announcer screaming incoherently for the duration. I didn't understand a word, but if that's why those crazy Europeans love football so much, go ftw.

[Macha88 @ May 21st 2008 9:08PM]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!

[Nytrojen @ May 21st 2008 7:19AM]

wait... if that scale is correct... 500microns = 0.5mm... which means that field is approximately 4.5mm across? Still undeniably small, but yeah... that would be one large grain of rice (also possible)

[James @ May 21st 2008 8:19AM]

It's actually more like 5/6x, not 9x, so more like 3mm. Plus rice size varies :P

[jdross @ May 21st 2008 8:26AM]

By my estimate it makes that field 2.5 mm across.
Measure it, on my 1680 x 1050 22" monitor 500 microns is 2 cm. The whole field is 10 cm, or 5*.5mm = 2.5 mm

2.5 mm is smaller than a normal grain of rice, it's actually about equal to the width of a grain.

[joe @ May 21st 2008 7:22AM]

What are the implications? I can't help feeling like nano-stuff is of nano-importance.

[nh @ May 21st 2008 9:09AM]

Well that's very nano-minded of you.

[oarking @ May 21st 2008 7:35AM]

shopped.

[puhsitch @ May 21st 2008 8:28AM]

Ooo, what'd you buy?

[wookie13 @ May 21st 2008 8:24AM]

It should be pointed out that 200 microns is actually 200000 nanometers and that an assembly of magnets (a clever one at that) does not make a robot, in my opinion... A hopping, moving, small device on a magnetic surface yes. A nano-robot? No.

[SirWalksAlot @ May 21st 2008 8:55AM]

Good thing nobody gives a crap about your opinion then. And fortunately for the researchers, this robot can't be made to not exist by you disagreeing that it does.

[colin @ May 21st 2008 9:04AM]

... by carbon nanotube-bots have front to back AND side to side, though...
and ya know they got the three wheel motion!

[colin @ May 21st 2008 9:05AM]

* my *

[Josh @ May 21st 2008 9:29AM]

aww it was playing football with itself..
reminds me of the good ol' days when dad wasn't around.. :'(

[FoxHoundADAM @ May 21st 2008 9:39AM]

Ah soon they will learn to self asymilate and begin to infest our lungs.

[Shinigami @ May 21st 2008 10:08AM]

The next time you remember this video is when you lose control of your own body...

Just kidding :)

[RYANGee @ May 21st 2008 10:40AM]

NanoSoccer? More like NanoSokoban

[riggs @ May 21st 2008 10:54AM]

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rock99rock @ May 21st 2008 12:14PM]

Scream that outloud, then listen to yourself. Then try to hold back the laughter. :)

[Ryan Beesley @ May 21st 2008 3:00PM]

My thoughts exactly. I would have said it if you didn't.

[btrujill @ May 21st 2008 11:35AM]

"What's it do?"
"Well, it pushes a small dot around a plus sign"
"Why?"
*farts

[Mitch @ May 21st 2008 1:00PM]

Ah, but will it blend? That is the question....

[Rick @ May 21st 2008 1:38PM]

Two questions- How is the bot being controlled and what is the 'ball' he is pushing around?