Gearing up for RoboCupJunior: Interview with Ana Patrícia Magalhães

Motion from RoboCupJunior Rescue at RoboCup 2024. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

The annual RoboCup occasion, the place groups collect from throughout the globe to participate in competitions throughout plenty of leagues, will this yr happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. An necessary a part of the week is RoboCupJunior, which is designed to introduce RoboCup to high school kids, and sees a whole lot of youngsters collaborating in quite a lot of challenges throughout completely different leagues. This yr, the lead organizer for RoboCupJunior is Ana Patrícia Magalhães. We caught up along with her to learn how the preparations are going, what to anticipate at this yr’s competitors, and the way RoboCup evokes communities.

May you inform us about RoboCupJunior and the plans you’ve gotten for the competitors this yr?

RoboCup will happen from 15-21 July, in Salvador, Brazil. We anticipate to obtain individuals from greater than 40 international locations, throughout the Junior and Main Leagues. We’re making ready every part to accommodate all the scholars collaborating in RoboCupJunior, who will take part within the Junior Leagues of Soccer, Rescue and OnStage. They’re kids and youngsters, so we have now organized shuttles to take them from the accommodations to the conference middle. We’ve additionally ready a handbook with suggestions about safety, locations they’ll go to, locations to eat. The concept is to offer all the mandatory 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’ll expertise somewhat little bit of our tradition. It should hopefully be expertise for them.

The Juniors might be situated on the primary degree of the mezzanine on the conference middle. They are going to be separate from the Main Leagues, who might be on the bottom flooring. After all, they’ll have the ability to go to the Main Leagues, and discuss to the scholars and different opponents there, however it will likely be good for them to have their very own area. There may also be some dad and mom and lecturers with them, so we determined to make use of this particular, devoted area.

RoboCupJunior On Stage at RoboCup 2024. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Do you’ve gotten any concept of roughly what number of groups might be collaborating?

Sure, so we’ll have about 48 groups within the Soccer Leagues, 86 groups within the Rescue Leagues, and 27 in OnStage. That’s lots of groups. Every staff has about three or 4 college students, and lots of the dad and mom, lecturers and professors journey with them too. In whole, we anticipate about 600 individuals to be related to RoboCupJunior.

RoboCupJunior Soccer at RoboCup 2024. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Have you ever bought extra RoboCupJunior members from Brazil this yr as a result of 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 yr, as a result of it’s rather a lot cheaper and simpler for them to journey right here. When we have now competitions in different international locations, it’s costly for them. For instance, I’ve a staff right here in Salvador that certified for the tremendous regional occasion within the US and our staff couldn’t go. That they had certified, however they couldn’t go as a result of they didn’t have cash to pay for the ticket. Now, it will likely be attainable 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 a giant alternative for growth and to stay the RoboCup expertise. It’s essential for youngsters and youngsters to share their analysis, meet individuals from different international locations, 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 in opposition to others. In a contest, it’s attainable to match your analysis with others. So it’s completely different from conferences the place you current a paper and present your work, nevertheless it’s not attainable to match and consider the outcomes with different related work. In a contest you’ve gotten 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 might be organizing RoboCupJunior. Are you additionally concerned within the Main Leagues?

Sure, so my most important function is organizing RoboCupJunior and I’m additionally one of many chairs of the RoboCup Symposium. Moreover, some groups from my laboratory are competing within the Main leagues. My staff participates within the @Dwelling league, however I haven’t had a lot time to assist them lately, 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 collaborating.

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 those that had been impressed to hitch a staff after that. Do you assume the 2025 RoboCup could have the identical impact and can encourage extra individuals 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 tasks in colleges. In 2014, RoboCup was held in João Pessoa, a metropolis within the north east that isn’t 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 tasks 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 expect it may need a fair greater impression, as a result of there’s extra social media now and the information can unfold rather a lot additional. We expect many guests. We could have a kind the place colleges that need to go to can enroll on a guided go to of RoboCup. This can go stay on the web site subsequent week, however we’re already receiving many messages from colleges asking how they’ll take part with their group. They’re within the occasions, so we have now excessive expectations.

We have now been engaged on organizing RoboCup2025 for over a yr, and there’s nonetheless a lot to do. We’re excited to obtain everyone right here, each for the competitors and to see town. We have now a lovely metropolis on the coast, and a few lovely locations to go to, so I like to recommend that folks 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 Programs course. She is a researcher and vice coordinator of the Middle for Analysis in Pc Structure, Clever Programs 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 growth course of and in Mannequin-Pushed Growth (DDM).