ROBOTS replaced players at the County Ground as part of an education exercise.

A group of year six youngsters from Eldene Primary School helped to programme and design a pair of robotic players using Lego, during the launch of Robo Soccer at the Swindon Town Study Centre.

And they even kitted them out in Swindon Town and Liverpool strips before sending them up against each other.

Overseeing the unusual match was former research scientist Bob Gatten.

He said: "The robots are firstly programmed using a very sophisticated computer programme Robo Lab, which was used by NASA for the Mars Rover.

"Each of the robotic players has a set of seven different variables, from defence and attack, and the children have to decide what priority to give to each one to create the winning combination.

"They can then build a player made out of Lego onto the control unit of the robot before setting them against each other.

"The children certainly found the whole project really engaging and it is a fun way of exploring design and technology."

The robots play against each other with a ball that shines infrared light. They can work out their position on a board around 12 square feet in size, moving the ball from one end to another.

Mr Gatten said: "They are true robots. Once programmed, they work within the rules that have been set for them."

Mr Gatten explained that groups of five children from 10 schools in Swindon would be invited to take part in a knockout robot football competition, played during the first two weeks in July.

The Swindon Town Study Centre was set up five years ago under DFES funding to encourage development of information and technology, using football to generate initial interest.