RoboCup 2023 SSL Champion TIGERs Mannheim - Improved Ball Interception Trajectories

In 2023, TIGERs Mannheim won the RoboCup Small Size League competition with individual success in the division A tournament, and the chip pass technical challenge. Given only one conceded goal during the Robocup 2023, in addition to the focus of last year’s champion’s paper on the offense parts of the strategy, this year will focus on an important improvement for the goalkeeper: An improved trajectory generator for goal shot interceptions. The current time-optimal second-order BangBang trajectories include a complete stop at the intercept destination, wasting valuable time. This is overcome by generating virtual destinations for the robot, that overshoot the intercept point and avoid the preliminary braking, while ensuring the keeper will reach the intercept point at the same time as the ball.