Getting ready for kick-off at RoboCup2025: an interview with Normal Chair Marco Simões


The Salvador Conference Heart, the place RoboCup 2025 will happen.

RoboCup is a global 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 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 search 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 will probably 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 a terrific 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 folks.

Concerning the variety of groups, registration has not closed but, so we’re not sure concerning the remaining numbers. Nonetheless, we count on to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 rivals. Now we have been serving to with visas, so we hope to see greater participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years resulting from visa points. We’re doing our greatest to make sure folks can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!

That is additionally a terrific yr for the RoboCup group: Now we have simply agreed on new world league companions, together with the Chinese language corporations Unitree, Fourier, and Booster Robotics. They may deliver 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 superb robots with superb expertise. So, I believe this will probably be a tremendous 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 group. Within the final two years, Brazil has had the fourth-largest variety of groups and members at RoboCup in Bordeaux (2023) and Eindhoven (2024). This was a really massive enhance 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 have now a large number of members due to the decrease journey prices. We expect to be within the prime three this yr when it comes to the very best variety of members.

Photograph of members at RoboCup 2024, which came about in Eindhoven. Photograph credit score: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke

It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior members go on to hitch a Main League workforce.

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 set up at the very least one competitors in every state throughout the yr, and the perfect groups from every state come to the nationwide competitors along with the Main Leagues. We set up 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, lots 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 group in recent times?

Two or three years in the past, one of many Brazilian groups was the champion of RoboCup @Residence. Now we have seen a giant enhance within the variety of groups within the @Residence League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we have now greater than 12 groups taking part. Again in 2014, we solely had one workforce taking part. So we’ve had a terrific enhance—this League is among the highlights in Brazil.

Extra groups are additionally taking part within the Small Measurement 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 Measurement 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 growing. So right now, we have now 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 can 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 group proposed it.

RoboCup @Residence with Toyota HSR robots within the Home Commonplace Platform League, RoboCup 2024. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Will you be collaborating within the competitors this yr, or will you be focusing completely in your position 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 taking part in three Leagues. We additionally supervise RoboCupJunior Groups within the Rescue Simulation League. This yr, 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 workforce, we have now a lot of developments with deep reinforcement studying and a few new novel methods that enable our groups to realize new expertise, and we’re combining the brand new expertise with our former multi-agent coordination technique. For that reason, I believe we can have a sturdy workforce within the competitors as a result of we aren’t solely engaged on expertise, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each elements are joined, you possibly can have a extremely good soccer workforce that performs very nicely. Now we have a very good workforce and count on to realize a better 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 elements but additionally have to work on expertise reminiscent of strolling, kicking, and working. Groups are actually making an attempt to develop new expertise. For instance, in recent times, our workforce 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 line with 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 expertise however don’t know the best way to exploit them strategically within the sport. Our focus will not be solely on creating new expertise 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 nicely, we could 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 anything 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 the planet. They may talk about 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 vital to have these hyperlinks between business and the RoboCup group.

We even have glorious assist from native corporations and the federal government. They are going to be displaying the group their newest developments. Within the Rescue League, for instance, we’ll have an illustration from the native power displaying what they do to assist folks 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, reminiscent of 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
is a non-profit devoted to connecting the AI group to the general public by offering free, high-quality info in AI.


AIhub
is a non-profit devoted to connecting the AI group to the general public by offering free, high-quality info in AI.



Lucy Smith
is Managing Editor for AIhub.

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