The Salvador Conference Heart, the place RoboCup 2025 will happen.
RoboCup is a world scientific initiative with the aim of advancing the state-of-the-art of clever robots, AI and automation. The annual RoboCup occasion, the place groups collect from throughout the globe to participate in competitions throughout a variety 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 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 ideal 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 a much 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 last numbers. Nonetheless, we count on to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 rivals. We now have been serving to with visas, so we hope to see larger participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years on account of visa points. We’re doing our greatest to make sure individuals can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!
That is additionally an ideal yr for the RoboCup neighborhood: We now have simply agreed on new international league companions, together with the Chinese language firms Unitree, Fourier, and Booster Robotics. They may deliver their humanoids and four-legged robots to RoboCup. These won’t solely be flaunted to the general public but additionally utilized by some groups. They’re wonderful robots with excellent abilities. So, I believe this shall be an incredible version of RoboCup this yr.
Did the 2014 occasion in Brazil encourage extra groups to take part in RoboCup?
Sure, we’ve seen a big improve in our RoboCup neighborhood. Within the final two years, Brazil has had the fourth-largest variety of groups and individuals at RoboCup in Bordeaux (2023) and Eindhoven (2024). This was a really large improve as a result of ten years in the past, we weren’t even within the prime 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’ve a large number of individuals due to the decrease journey prices. We expect to be within the prime three this yr when it comes to the best variety of individuals.
Picture of individuals at RoboCup 2024, which occurred in Eindhoven. Picture credit score: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke
It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior individuals go on to hitch a Main League staff.
Sure, we’ve 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 primarily based on these two Leagues. We run it in regional competitions throughout Brazil – so 27 states. We manage at the very least one competitors in every state through the yr, and the perfect 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 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.
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 @House. We now have seen an enormous improve within the variety of groups within the @House League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we’ve greater than 12 groups taking part. Again in 2014, we solely had one staff taking part. So we’ve had an ideal improve—this League is without doubt one of the highlights in Brazil.
Extra groups are additionally taking part 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 prime 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 at the moment, we’ve an elevated variety of publications and groups taking part within the competitors with good outcomes, in order that’s crucial.
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 @House with Toyota HSR robots within the Home Commonplace Platform League, RoboCup 2024. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Will you be collaborating within the competitors this yr, or will you be focusing completely in your function as Basic Chair?
This yr, my laboratory (ACSO/Uneb) has certified for the 3d Simulation League (soccer), the Flying Robotic Demo, and RoboCup @House, so we’re taking part in three Leagues. We additionally supervise RoboCupJunior Groups within the Rescue Simulation League. This yr, my college students have had solely a little bit supervision from me as a result of I’ve been very engaged with the group.
In our 3D simulation staff, we’ve a lot 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. For that reason, I believe we could have a strong staff within the competitors as a result of we aren’t solely engaged on abilities, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each facets are joined, you may have a extremely good soccer staff that performs very nicely. We now have a great staff and count on to realize a higher place this yr. Within the latter years, we had been within the prime 4 or 5, however we hope to get into the highest three this yr.
In 3D, you not solely work on multi-agent facets but additionally have to work on abilities comparable to strolling, kicking, and working. Groups at the moment are making an attempt to develop new abilities. For instance, lately, our staff has developed the dash working motion, which was a results of deep reinforcement studying. It’s not a pure working movement however a working 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 staff very aggressive.
Most groups are studying abilities however don’t know how you can exploit them strategically within the sport. Our focus just isn’t solely on creating new abilities but additionally 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 primarily based 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. Picture: 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’ve sponsorship from Petrobras, one of many largest oil firms on the planet. They may focus on how they’re utilizing robotics and AI of their business. They had been additionally one of many first sponsors of the Flying Robots League. It’s essential to have these hyperlinks between business and the RoboCup neighborhood.
We even have glorious help 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 illustration from the native power exhibiting what they do to help individuals in catastrophe conditions.
This occasion can also be a superb 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’ve a wealthy historical past. There are quite a lot of historic websites to see and a few nice leisure choices, comparable to seashores or events. Folks can have enjoyable and benefit from the nation!
About Marco
| | 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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