RoboCup-2003, a ten-day event that took place in Padua, Italy in July 2003, is the subject of this paper. RoboCup is an international research and education initiative that fosters artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent robotics research, by providing a standard problem where a wide range of technologies can be integrated and examined. The RoboCup event is no longer just the Soccer World Cup for autonomous robots; it has evolved to become a coordinated initiative encompassing four different robotic events: soccer, rescue, junior (focused on education), and a scientific symposium. Participating in the RoboCup event were 243 teams from 30 countries.

There are several leagues, differing in the size and characteristics of the robots used. The paper follows this organization, and each section reports on the status and advancement of the different leagues that participated.

In addition to reporting on the results of the games, the paper highlights the robotics and AI technologies exploited by the teams, and describes the most meaningful scientific contributions. The material is clearly written, descriptive rather than technical, and has a large number of references pertinent to the RoboCup field.