The Salvador Conference Heart, the place RoboCup 2025 will happen.
RoboCup is a world scientific initiative with the aim 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 quite a lot of leagues, will this yr happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. We spoke to Marco Simões, one of many Basic 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
Might you give us a fast introduction to RoboCup 2025?
RoboCup can 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 important success. This yr, we count on 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 uncertain concerning the ultimate numbers. Nonetheless, we count on to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 opponents. We’ve got been serving to with visas, so we hope to see larger participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years because of visa points. We’re doing our greatest to make sure individuals can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!
That is additionally an important yr for the RoboCup neighborhood: We’ve got simply agreed on new international league companions, together with the Chinese language firms 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 superb abilities. So, I feel this can be an incredible version of RoboCup this yr.
Did the 2014 occasion in Brazil encourage extra groups to take part in RoboCup?
Sure, we have now seen a big enhance 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 large enhance 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 rising yr by yr over the past ten years. This yr, we have now a large number of contributors due to the decrease journey prices. We predict to be within the high three this yr 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 hitch a Main League group.
Sure, we have now an initiative right here in Brazil known 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 manage at the least one competitors in every state through the yr, and the very best groups from every state come to the nationwide competitors along with the Main Leagues. We manage 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 school, 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.
Might you inform us about some extra of the highlights from the Brazilian RoboCup neighborhood lately?
Two or three years in the past, one of many Brazilian groups was the champion of RoboCup @Residence. We’ve got seen an enormous enhance within the variety of groups within the @Residence League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we have now greater than 12 groups collaborating. Again in 2014, we solely had one group collaborating. So we’ve had an important enhance—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 presently, we have now an elevated variety of publications and groups collaborating within the competitors with good outcomes, in order that’s essential.
One other glorious contribution for this yr 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 yr. This would be the first time we’ll have autonomous drones on the RoboCup competitors, and the Brazilian neighborhood proposed it.
RoboCup @Residence with Toyota HSR robots within the Home Normal Platform League, RoboCup 2024. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Will you be participating within the competitors this yr, or will you be focusing solely in your position as Basic Chair?
This yr, my laboratory (ACSO/Uneb) has certified for the 3d Simulation League (soccer), the Flying Robotic Demo, and RoboCup @Residence, so we’re collaborating in three Leagues. We additionally supervise RoboCupJunior Groups within the Rescue Simulation League. This yr, my college students have had solely slightly supervision from me as a result of I’ve been very engaged with the group.
In our 3D simulation group, we have now plenty of developments with deep reinforcement studying and a few new novel methods that enable our groups to achieve new abilities, and we’re combining the brand new abilities with our former multi-agent coordination technique. Because of this, I feel we could have a strong group within the competitors as a result of we aren’t solely engaged on abilities, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each elements are joined, you may have a very good soccer group that performs very nicely. We’ve got a great group and count on to realize a higher place this yr. Within the latter years, we had been within the high 4 or 5, however we hope to get into the highest three this yr.
In 3D, you not solely work on multi-agent elements but in addition must work on abilities resembling strolling, kicking, and operating. Groups at the moment are attempting to develop new abilities. For instance, lately, our group has developed the dash operating motion, which was a results of deep reinforcement studying. It’s not a pure operating movement however a operating motion that works in line with the League’s guidelines. It makes the robots go very quick from one level to a different, making the group very aggressive.
Most groups are studying abilities however don’t know the way to exploit them strategically within the recreation. Our focus just isn’t solely on creating new abilities but in addition on utilizing them strategically. We’re at present engaged on a really modern method.
This yr, the simulation league will run a problem utilizing a brand new simulator based mostly on MuJoCo. If the problem goes nicely, we could transfer to this new simulator within the following years, which might 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 firms. For instance, we have now sponsorship from Petrobras, one of many greatest oil firms on the planet. They’ll focus on how they’re utilizing robotics and AI of their trade. They had been additionally one of many first sponsors of the Flying Robots League. It’s essential to have these hyperlinks between trade and the RoboCup neighborhood.
We even have glorious assist from native firms and the federal government. They are going to be exhibiting the neighborhood their newest developments. Within the Rescue League, for instance, we’ll have an indication from the native drive exhibiting 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 lots of historic websites to see and a few nice leisure choices, resembling seashores or events. Folks 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 Basic Chair of RoboCup2025, and President of RoboCup Brazil. |
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