The Salvador Conference Heart, the place RoboCup 2025 will happen.
RoboCup is a world scientific initiative with the purpose of advancing the cutting-edge of clever robots, AI and automation. The annual RoboCup occasion, the place groups collect from throughout the globe to participate in competitions throughout numerous leagues, will this 12 months happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. We spoke to Marco Simões, one of many Common Chairs of RoboCup 2025 and President of RoboCup Brazil, to seek out out what plans they’ve for the occasion, some new initiatives, and the way RoboCup has grown in Brazil over the previous ten years.
Marco Simões
May you give us a fast introduction to RoboCup 2025?
RoboCup shall be held in Salvador, Brazil. When RoboCup was held in Brazil 11 years in the past, in 2014, we had a complete of 100,000 guests, in order that was an awesome success. This 12 months, we anticipate much more, round 150,000, throughout all of the occasions. These days, AI and robotics are attracting extra consideration. We’re additionally in a city, Salvador, with an even bigger inhabitants than the earlier location (João Pessoa). For these causes, we estimate the attendance to be about 150,000 individuals.
Relating to the variety of groups, registration has not closed but, so we’re not sure concerning the remaining numbers. Nevertheless, we anticipate to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 rivals. We now have been serving to with visas, so we hope to see increased participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years attributable to visa points. We’re doing our greatest to make sure individuals can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!
That is additionally an awesome 12 months for the RoboCup neighborhood: We now have simply agreed on new international league companions, together with the Chinese language corporations Unitree, Fourier, and Booster Robotics. They’ll deliver their humanoids and four-legged robots to RoboCup. These is not going to solely be flaunted to the general public but in addition utilized by some groups. They’re superb robots with excellent expertise. So, I believe this shall be an incredible version of RoboCup this 12 months.
Did the 2014 occasion in Brazil encourage extra groups to take part in RoboCup?
Sure, we have now seen a big improve in our RoboCup neighborhood. Within the final two years, Brazil has had the fourth-largest variety of groups and contributors at RoboCup in Bordeaux (2023) and Eindhoven (2024). This was a really massive improve as a result of ten years in the past, we weren’t even within the high eight or 9.
We’ve made a big effort with RoboCupJunior within the final ten years. Most individuals who’ve taken half in RoboCupJunior have carried on and joined the RoboCup Main League. So, the variety of groups in Brazil has been growing 12 months by 12 months over the past ten years. This 12 months, we have now a large number of contributors due to the decrease journey prices. We expect to be within the high three this 12 months when it comes to the best variety of contributors.
Photograph of contributors at RoboCup 2024, which occurred in Eindhoven. Photograph credit score: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke
It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior contributors go on to affix a Main League crew.
Sure, we have now an initiative right here in Brazil referred to as the Brazilian Robotics Olympiad. On this occasion, we selected two Junior Leagues – OnStage and the Rescue Line League – and we organized a contest based mostly on these two Leagues. We run it in regional competitions throughout Brazil – so 27 states. We arrange a minimum of one competitors in every state through the 12 months, and the most effective groups from every state come to the nationwide competitors along with the Main Leagues. We arrange the Brazilian Olympiad to get RoboCupJunior to extra college students. That is how we’ve managed to extend participation in RoboCupJunior. Then, when college students go to college, a lot of them proceed to take part, however within the Main Leagues. In order that’s a really profitable technique we’ve utilized in Brazil within the final 10 years.
May you inform us about some extra of the highlights from the Brazilian RoboCup neighborhood in recent times?
Two or three years in the past, one of many Brazilian groups was the champion of RoboCup @Dwelling. We now have seen a giant improve within the variety of groups within the @Dwelling League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we have now greater than 12 groups collaborating. Again in 2014, we solely had one crew collaborating. So we’ve had an awesome improve—this League is likely one of the highlights in Brazil.
Extra groups are additionally collaborating within the Small Dimension League (a part of the soccer League). Two years in the past, one of many Brazilian groups was the champion of the division B of the Small Dimension League. So, over the past 5 years, we’ve seen some Brazilian groups within the high three positions in Main Leagues within the RoboCup world competitors. This can be a results of the rise within the variety of groups and the standard of what the groups are creating. So right now, we have now an elevated variety of publications and groups collaborating within the competitors with good outcomes, in order that’s crucial.
One other wonderful contribution for this 12 months is a league we created 5 years in the past – a flying robotic league, the place autonomous drones carry out some missions and duties. We’ve proposed this League as a demo for RoboCup2025, and we could have a Flying Robotic Demo on the competitors this 12 months. This would be the first time we’ll have autonomous drones on the RoboCup competitors, and the Brazilian neighborhood proposed it.
RoboCup @Dwelling with Toyota HSR robots within the Home Normal Platform League, RoboCup 2024. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Will you be collaborating within the competitors this 12 months, or will you be focusing fully in your position as Common Chair?
This 12 months, my laboratory (ACSO/Uneb) has certified for the 3d Simulation League (soccer), the Flying Robotic Demo, and RoboCup @Dwelling, so we’re collaborating in three Leagues. We additionally supervise RoboCupJunior Groups within the Rescue Simulation League. This 12 months, my college students have had solely a bit of supervision from me as a result of I’ve been very engaged with the group.
In our 3D simulation crew, we have now plenty of developments with deep reinforcement studying and a few new novel methods that permit our groups to realize new expertise, and we’re combining the brand new expertise with our former multi-agent coordination technique. Because of this, I believe we could have a sturdy crew within the competitors as a result of we aren’t solely engaged on expertise, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each facets are joined, you may have a extremely good soccer crew that performs very nicely. We now have a great crew and anticipate to attain a better place this 12 months. Within the latter years, we have been within the high 4 or 5, however we hope to get into the highest three this 12 months.
In 3D, you not solely work on multi-agent facets but in addition have to work on expertise equivalent to strolling, kicking, and working. Groups at the moment are making an attempt to develop new expertise. For instance, in recent times, our crew has developed the dash working motion, which was a results of deep reinforcement studying. It isn’t a pure working movement however a working motion that works in keeping with the League’s guidelines. It makes the robots go very quick from one level to a different, making the crew very aggressive.
Most groups are studying expertise however don’t know how you can exploit them strategically within the sport. Our focus is just not solely on creating new expertise but in addition on utilizing them strategically. We’re at the moment engaged on a really revolutionary method.
This 12 months, the simulation league will run a problem utilizing a brand new simulator based mostly on MuJoCo. If the problem goes nicely, we might transfer to this new simulator within the following years, which may extra realistically simulate actual humanoid robots.
Motion from the semi-finals of RoboCup Soccer Humanoid League at RoboCup 2024. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Lastly, is there the rest you’d like to focus on about RoboCup2025?
We’re engaged on partnerships with native corporations. For instance, we have now sponsorship from Petrobras, one of many greatest oil corporations on this planet. They’ll focus on how they’re utilizing robotics and AI of their business. They have been additionally one of many first sponsors of the Flying Robots League. It’s necessary to have these hyperlinks between business and the RoboCup neighborhood.
We even have wonderful assist from native corporations and the federal government. They are going to be displaying the neighborhood their newest developments. Within the Rescue League, for instance, we’ll have an indication from the native drive displaying what they do to assist individuals in catastrophe conditions.
This occasion can be a wonderful alternative for RoboCuppers, particularly those that have by no means been to Brazil, to spend some days after the occasion in Salvador, visiting some vacationer spots. Salvador was the primary Brazilian capital, so we have now a wealthy historical past. There are loads of historic websites to see and a few nice leisure choices, equivalent to seashores or events. Individuals can have enjoyable and benefit from the nation!
About Marco
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Marco Simões is an Affiliate Professor at Bahia State College, Salvador, Brazil. He’s the Common Chair of RoboCup2025, and President of RoboCup Brazil. |
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