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The Salvador Conference Heart, the place RoboCup 2025 will happen.
RoboCup is a global scientific initiative with the purpose 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 lot of leagues, will this yr happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. We spoke to Marco Simões, one of many Normal 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 incredible success. This yr, 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 a much bigger inhabitants than the earlier location (João Pessoa). For these causes, we estimate the attendance to be about 150,000 individuals.
Concerning the variety of groups, registration has not closed but, so we’re not sure concerning the remaining numbers. Nonetheless, we anticipate to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 opponents. We’ve been serving to with visas, so we hope to see greater participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years as a result of visa points. We’re doing our greatest to make sure individuals can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!
That is additionally an incredible yr for the RoboCup neighborhood: We’ve simply agreed on new international league companions, together with the Chinese language firms Unitree, Fourier, and Booster Robotics. They are going to convey their humanoids and four-legged robots to RoboCup. These is not going to solely be flaunted to the general public but additionally utilized by some groups. They’re wonderful robots with superb abilities. So, I feel this can be a tremendous 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 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 during the last ten years. This yr, we’ve a large number of contributors due to the decrease journey prices. We expect to be within the high three this yr by way of the best variety of contributors.
Picture of contributors at RoboCup 2024, which came about in Eindhoven. Picture credit score: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke
It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior contributors go on to hitch a Main League workforce.
Sure, we’ve 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 at the very least one competitors in every state in the course of the yr, and one of the best 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.
Might 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 @Residence. We’ve seen an enormous enhance within the variety of groups within the @Residence League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we’ve greater than 12 groups collaborating. Again in 2014, we solely had one workforce collaborating. So we’ve had an incredible enhance—this League is without doubt 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, during the last 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’ve 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 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 may 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 Customary Platform League, RoboCup 2024. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Will you be participating within the competitors this yr, or will you be focusing fully in your function as Normal 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 a bit supervision from me as a result of I’ve been very engaged with the group.
In our 3D simulation workforce, 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 feel we may have a strong workforce within the competitors as a result of we’re not solely engaged on abilities, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each facets are joined, you may have a very good soccer workforce that performs very effectively. We’ve workforce and anticipate to realize a larger 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 facets but additionally must work on abilities resembling strolling, kicking, and working. Groups are actually making an attempt to develop new abilities. For instance, in recent times, our workforce 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 response to the League’s guidelines. It makes the robots go very quick from one level to a different, making the workforce very aggressive.
Most groups are studying abilities however don’t know exploit them strategically within the recreation. Our focus just isn’t solely on creating new abilities but additionally on utilizing them strategically. We’re at the moment engaged on a really revolutionary strategy.
This yr, the simulation league will run a problem utilizing a brand new simulator based mostly on MuJoCo. If the problem goes effectively, 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. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Lastly, is there anything 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 greatest oil firms on this planet. They are going to 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 necessary to have these hyperlinks between trade and the RoboCup neighborhood.
We even have wonderful 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 illustration from the native power exhibiting what they do to assist individuals in catastrophe conditions.
This occasion can also 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’ve a wealthy historical past. There are plenty 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
Marco Simões is an Affiliate Professor at Bahia State College, Salvador, Brazil. He’s the Normal Chair of RoboCup2025, and President of RoboCup Brazil.
AIhub
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