Making 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 objective 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 plenty 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 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 likely 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 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.

Relating to the variety of groups, registration has not closed but, so we’re uncertain in regards to the ultimate 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 increased 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 folks can come and have enjoyable at RoboCup!

That is additionally an incredible yr for the RoboCup neighborhood: 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 abilities. So, I feel this will likely 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 major 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 massive enhance as a result of ten years in the past, we weren’t even within the high eight or 9.

We’ve made a major 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 growing yr by yr over the past ten years. This yr, we’ve a large number of contributors due to the decrease journey prices. We predict to be within the high three this yr when it comes to the best variety of contributors.

Picture of contributors at RoboCup 2024, which happened in Eindhoven. Picture credit score: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke

It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior contributors go on to affix a Main League group.

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 set up not less than one competitors in every state through the yr, and the most effective 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 neighborhood in recent times?

Two or three years in the past, one of many Brazilian groups was the champion of RoboCup @Dwelling. Now we have seen a giant enhance within the variety of groups within the @Dwelling League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we’ve greater than 12 groups taking part. Again in 2014, we solely had one group taking part. So we’ve had an incredible enhance—this League is without doubt one of 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 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 growing. So right now, we’ve an elevated variety of publications and groups taking part within the competitors with good outcomes, in order that’s essential.

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

Will you be participating 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 @Dwelling, 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 just a little supervision from me as a result of I’ve been very engaged with the group.

In our 3D simulation group, we’ve a number of developments with deep reinforcement studying and a few new novel methods that permit our groups to achieve new abilities, and we’re combining the brand new abilities with our former multi-agent coordination technique. Because of this, I feel we may have a strong group within the competitors as a result of we aren’t solely engaged on abilities, we’re additionally engaged on multi-agency methods. When each features are joined, you possibly can have a extremely good soccer group that performs very effectively. Now we have a superb group and count on to realize a larger place this yr. Within the latter years, we have 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 features but additionally have to work on abilities reminiscent of strolling, kicking, and working. Groups at the moment are attempting to develop new abilities. For instance, in recent times, our group 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 keeping with the League’s guidelines. It makes the robots go very quick from one level to a different, making the group very aggressive.

Most groups are studying abilities however don’t know how you can exploit them strategically within the sport. Our focus isn’t solely on creating new abilities but additionally on utilizing them strategically. We’re at the moment engaged on a really modern strategy.

This yr, the simulation league will run a problem utilizing a brand new simulator primarily based on MuJoCo. If the problem goes effectively, 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 anything you’d like to focus on about RoboCup2025?

We’re engaged on partnerships with native corporations. For instance, we’ve sponsorship from Petrobras, one of many greatest oil corporations on the earth. They may focus on how they’re utilizing robotics and AI of their trade. They have been additionally one of many first sponsors of the Flying Robots League. It’s vital to have these hyperlinks between trade and the RoboCup neighborhood.

We even have wonderful help from native corporations and the federal government. They are going to be displaying the neighborhood their newest developments. Within the Rescue League, for instance, we’ll have an indication from the native drive displaying what they do to help folks in catastrophe conditions.

This occasion can 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, reminiscent of seashores or events. Individuals 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.