Motion from Robocupjunior Rescue at Robocup 2024. Picture: Robocup/Bart van Overbeeke.
The annual RoboCup occasionthe place groups collect from throughout the globe to participate in competitions throughout quite a lot of leagues, will this 12 months happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. An essential a part of the week is RoboCupJuniorwhich is designed to introduce RoboCup to high school youngsters, and sees a whole lot of children participating in quite a lot of challenges throughout totally different leagues. This 12 months, the lead organizer for RoboCupJunior is Ana Patrícia Magalhães. We caught up together with her to learn the way the preparations are going, what to anticipate at this 12 months’s competitors, and the way RoboCup evokes communities.
Might you inform us about RoboCupJunior and the plans you’ve got for the competitors this 12 months?
RoboCup will happen from 15-21 July, in Salvador, Brazil. We anticipate to obtain folks from greater than 40 nations, throughout the Junior and Main Leagues. We’re making ready every little thing to accommodate all the scholars participating in RoboCupJunior, who will take part within the Junior Leagues of Soccer, Rescue and OnStage. They’re youngsters and youngsters, so we have now organized shuttles to take them from the accommodations to the conference heart. We’ve additionally ready a handbook with suggestions about safety, locations they will go to, locations to eat. The thought is to offer all the required assist for them, as a result of they’re so younger. We’re additionally organizing a welcome celebration for the Juniors in order that they will expertise somewhat little bit of our tradition. It should hopefully be a superb expertise for them.
The Juniors can be situated on the primary degree of the mezzanine on the conference heart. They are going to be separate from the Main Leagues, who can be on the bottom flooring. In fact, they’ll be capable of go to the Main Leagues, and discuss to the scholars and different opponents there, however will probably be good for them to have their very own house. There will even be some dad and mom and academics with them, so we determined to make use of this particular, devoted house.
Robocupjunior on Stage at Robocup 2024. Picture: Robocup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Do you’ve got any concept of roughly what number of groups can be participating?
Sure, so we’ll have about 48 groups within the Soccer Leagues, 86 groups within the Rescue Leagues, and 27 in OnStage. That’s a variety of groups. Every group has about three or 4 college students, and most of the dad and mom, academics and professors journey with them too. In whole, we anticipate about 600 folks to be related to RoboCupJunior.
Robocupjunior Soccer at Robocup 2024. Picture: Robocup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Have you ever bought extra RoboCupJunior individuals from Brazil this 12 months because of the location?
Sure, we have now many groups from Brazil competing. I don’t know the precise quantity, however there are positively extra Brazilian groups this 12 months, as a result of it’s quite a bit cheaper and simpler for them to journey right here. When we have now competitions in different nations, it’s costly for them. For instance, I’ve a group right here in Salvador that certified for the tremendous regional occasion within the US and our group couldn’t go. They’d certified, however they couldn’t go as a result of they didn’t have cash to pay for the ticket. Now, will probably be doable for all of the Brazilian groups certified to take part as a result of it’s cheaper for them to return right here. So it’s an enormous alternative for improvement and to dwell the RoboCup expertise. It’s essential for kids and youngsters to share their analysis, meet folks from different nations, and see what they’re doing, and what analysis path they’re following. They’re very grateful for the chance to have their work examined towards others. In a contest, it’s doable to match your analysis with others. So it’s totally different from conferences the place you current a paper and present your work, nevertheless it’s not doable to match and consider the outcomes with different comparable work. In a contest you’ve got this chance. It’s a great way to get insights and enhance your analysis.
Robocupjunior Rescue at Robocup 2024. Picture: Robocup/Bart van Overbeeke.
Your function at this RoboCup can be organizing RoboCupJunior. Are you additionally concerned within the Main Leagues?
Sure, so my essential function is organizing RoboCupJunior and I’m additionally one of many chairs of the RoboCup Symposium. In addition to, some groups from my laboratory are competing within the Main leagues. My group participates within the @Dwelling league, however I haven’t had a lot time to assist them not too long ago, with all of the preparations for RoboCup2025. Our laboratory additionally has groups from the 3d Simulation Soccer League, and the Flying Robots Demo. This would be the first time we’ll see a flying robotic demo league at a RoboCup.
We’ll even have two junior groups from the Rescue Simulation League. They’re very enthusiastic about participating.
Robocupjunior Rescue at Robocup 2024. Picture: Robocup/Bart van Overbeeke.
RoboCup was final held in Brazil in 2014, and I perceive that there have been numerous new people who had been impressed to hitch a group after that. Do you suppose the 2025 RoboCup could have the identical impact and can encourage extra folks in Brazil to participate?
Sure, I hope so. The final one impressed many, many college students. We might understand the distinction earlier than and after RoboCup at the moment, associated to initiatives in colleges. In 2014, RoboCup was held in João Pessoa, a metropolis within the north east that’s not as developed or populated as many different states in Brazil. It actually improved the analysis in that place and the curiosity in robotics particularly. After the 2014 RoboCup, we’ve had many initiatives submitted to the Brazilian RoboCup competitors from that state yearly. We consider that it was due to RoboCup being held there.
We hope that RoboCup2025 subsequent month could have the identical impact. We predict it might need an excellent larger affect, as a result of there may be extra social media now and the information can unfold quite a bit additional. We expect many guests. We could have a kind the place colleges that wish to go to can enroll on a guided go to of RoboCup. This may go dwell on the web site subsequent week, however we’re already receiving many messages from colleges asking how they will take part with their group. They’re within the occasions, so we have now excessive expectations.
Now we have been engaged on organizing RoboCup2025 for over a 12 months, and there may be nonetheless a lot to do. We’re excited to obtain all people right here, each for the competitors and to see the town. Now we have a fantastic metropolis on the coast, and a few stunning locations to go to, so I like to recommend that individuals come and keep for some days after the competitors to get to know our metropolis.
About Ana Patrícia
Ana Patrícia F. Magalhães Mascarenhas acquired her PhD in Pc Science from the Federal College of Bahia (2016) and Grasp in Mechatronics from the Federal College of Bahia (2007). She is at present an adjunct professor on the State College of Bahia (UNEB) on the Info Techniques course. She is a researcher and vice coordinator of the Middle for Analysis in Pc Structure, Clever Techniques and Robotics (ACSO). Her present analysis focuses on service robotics and software program engineering, particularly associated to the usage of Synthetic Intelligence (AI) within the software program improvement course of and in Mannequin-Pushed Improvement (DDM).
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.
