RoboCupRescue: an interview with Adam Jacoff

The RoboCupRescue area at RoboCup2024, Eindhoven.

RoboCup is a world scientific initiative with the aim of advancing the state of the science of clever robots, AI and automation. The annual RoboCup occasion will happen from 15-21 July in Salvador, Brazil. The RoboCupRescue League is a vital component of the competitors and focuses on the challenges concerned in search and rescue functions. We caught up with Adam Jacoff, co-founder of the RoboCupRescue league, former RoboCup Trustee, and chair of the organising committee, to search out out extra.

Might you begin by giving us an outline of the Rescue League?

The RoboCupRescue League is now in its twenty fifth yr internet hosting competitions and workshops all all over the world. We’re centered on growing autonomous robots that may allow emergency responders to carry out extraordinarily hazardous duties from safer stand-off distances. That features search and rescue eventualities in compromised or collapsed constructions, for instance, however there are a lot of duties that firefighters and different public security organizations do every single day that may be safer with robots doing the damaging half. We’re actually the one League at RoboCup that’s centered on emergency responders, so our arenas seem slightly extra chaotic than the opposite leagues, however in a managed kind of means. Now we have twenty customary take a look at strategies that we use as problem duties that emergency responders and our league of groups all over the world have helped develop and validate over a few years. These competitions do three issues without delay.

First, they information the analysis with tangible terrains, obstacles, and duties which are consultant of emergency response operations. The researchers doubtless have no idea any emergency responders, however we do, and we’ve distilled their necessities into twenty or so customary take a look at strategies. So the groups know that if they’ll resolve the challenges introduced to them within the take a look at lanes, perhaps not all twenty, however ten of them, or 5 of them, that mixture of capabilities are relevant to some public security mission. And the extra autonomy the researchers can implement into their robots, the extra doubtless the robots shall be efficient and simple to make use of within the subject. The principle goal of our league is to quicken the event of efficient and dependable autonomous behaviors for these advanced environments.

RoboCup is a wonderful incubator for growing and evaluating innovative analysis and on the similar time for growing, validating, and disseminating new customary take a look at strategies. Our customary take a look at strategies are reproducible and strategy the truth of very advanced and dangerous environments in an incremental means. Now we have more and more troublesome settings for every take a look at. So we begin straightforward within the Preliminaries with all of the terrain lanes flat so groups can optimize their approaches for every specific problem. By Semi-Finals the terrain lanes are inclined into crossover 15° slopes with a posh terrain impediment within the center. The groups begin performing sequences of a number of lanes, so they should intelligently swap between completely different behaviors to succeed. Then for the Finals we inject extra complexity with slippery options for the robots to lose traction, pinch factors to drive extra steering, and better step-over obstacles to make the sequences even tougher. That is how we information and problem each autonomous and remotely operated robots past their consolation zone.

Second, the depth of the expertise and schooling for engineers and laptop scientists results in recruiting alternatives and careers. All people understands that groups who do properly at RoboCupRescue have executed one thing particular. They’ll go on to extra intense analysis or may also help implement that expertise within the industrial market. Our League has impressed and validated new robotic approaches to very advanced environments and helped make the leap from analysis to industrial implementation.

The third piece of the puzzle is our connection to numerous communities of emergency responders. Our sequence of take a look at lanes is precisely what emergency responders use to help their procurement and coaching. They use trial knowledge captured with the robotic producers to assist resolve what robotic to purchase. In addition they use the take a look at lanes to coach distant operators and measure their proficiency. So RoboCupRescue helps emergency responders perceive what the subsequent wave of rising applied sciences can do. For instance, the nuclear waste cleanup trade needs to credential their distant robotic operators to make sure robots don’t get stranded inside extraordinarily harsh radiation-filled environments. The robots have to hold working for 1,000 hours or extra to be price efficient. In addition they need to guarantee distant operators are proficient sufficient to soundly carry out the supposed duties with out crashing the robotic on the steps and blocking the way in which for all different robots. Or worse but, drive people in protecting fits to go in and clear the way in which. Totally different organizations come to RoboCupRescue competitions and see numerous points of the league in motion which are helpful to them. On this case, as an impediment course to get a robotic driver’s license.

At Eindhoven final yr (for RoboCup2024) we had the native bomb squads present what we name a “reverse demonstration.” All these researchers give demonstrations of their robots at their colleges to sponsors, household, buddies, and perhaps even to emergency responders. However they by no means get to see what the emergency responders do for a residing – how harmful their jobs are. So the RoboCupRescue league usually pauses for some time in the course of the competitors and comes collectively to look at a bomb technician get into their padded swimsuit and undergo the sequence of take a look at lanes doing all of the duties that we’re asking the robots to carry out. The researchers see how a lot of a burden it’s simply to put on the padded fits, that are very heavy and require pressured air into the helmet. It’s not solely bodily troublesome, they’re strolling to and interacting with recognized explosives to render them protected – which is unconscionable given the capabilities of robots lately. They have to be working remotely from a protected stand-off distance. These “reverse demonstrations” are doubtless the primary time the researchers ever get to satisfy folks in bomb fits, and perceive that it’s these emergency responders we’re working to assist. Whether or not it’s firefighters or police, a pure or artifical catastrophe, we’re attempting to assist emergency responders keep out of hurt’s means. They want succesful, dependable, and simple to make use of robots to cope with excessive hazards extra safely and successfully.

The RoboCupRescue area at ICRA2025 (one of many qualifying occasions for RoboCup2025). Credit score: Adam Jacoff.

So that you talked about attempting to advertise autonomy over teleoperation. How do you go about attempting to encourage folks to make use of extra autonomy within the league?

Competitions have to have easy and clear guidelines. They should problem robots, lead them towards sensible options, and spotlight groups which are profitable in quite a lot of challenges. So RoboCupRescue has developed scoring duties for mobility, dexterity, and mapping inside advanced terrains. To attain mobility factors, for instance, the robotic must drive from one finish of a terrain lane to the opposite finish, or ascend and descend obstacles like stairs. They earn 1 level for every profitable traverse as much as 10 complete repetitions so as to add some statistical significance. The operator is all the time out of sight of the robotic, so working solely by their interface as if the robotic is inside a constructing. The terrain lanes and obstacles begin straightforward and get tougher, however all groups are being evaluated in the identical problem setting because the competitors progresses, so the factors keep the identical.

If the robotic can efficiently traverse the lane or carry out the dexterity duties with out the operator touching the interface, we name that autonomy. In the beginning of every traverse the operator can manually set a aim level on the different finish of the lane. Then they hit “go” and all of us watch and study collectively. If the robotic will get to the opposite finish with out the operator touching the controls, the staff will get 4 factors as an alternative of 1 level for that autonomous traverse. That 4:1 one ratio seems to be sufficient incentive to ensure groups develop autonomous behaviors and take a look at them at every begin level. Nonetheless, they’ll all the time restore again to distant operation anytime the robotic stalls to attain on the lesser fee, so the foundations encourage attempting autonomy first. Additionally, we give Greatest-In-Class Autonomy awards to acknowledge groups that earned essentially the most factors autonomously all through the competitors.

Why do we want autonomy in emergency response operations? First, as a result of the onboard autonomy usually makes the robotic simpler to make use of for a distant operator, which may additionally imply it’s extra prone to succeed down vary or perhaps be extra dependable. Additionally, inside buildings there are sometimes radio communications drop-out zones. Take into consideration your cellular phone reception inside concrete buildings or in basements beneath buildings, these locations nonetheless have to be searched even when radio communication from a distant stand-off location exterior the construction doesn’t help real-time video or management. So every RoboCupRescue lane, and the complete Labyrinth or Maze used for mapping, is taken into account a “radio drop-out zone” with duties that rating 4 to 1 for those who can carry out them autonomously. That applies to mobility, dexterity, and mapping duties.

An instance of one of many lanes (challenges) that groups sort out throughout competitors. Credit score: Adam Jacoff.

Will there be any new improvements to look out for this yr?

What you’re going to see new this yr are four-legged robots, referred to as quadrupeds, that now have wheels as toes. There was a industrial robotic that got here to RoboCup2024 in Eindhoven. I invited them to show within the take a look at lanes whereas the groups had been at lunch, and this new robotic design actually dominated our Semi-Finals sequence. Now that was an indication, performed with the operator in direct line-of-sight of the robotic, a lot simpler than remotely controlling the robotic in the identical terrains. However it didn’t have a distant interface. That’s precisely what our league of groups do finest by including interfaces, sensors, mapping, manipulators, and the autonomy to make all of it efficient and simpler to make use of remotely.

These legged robots with wheels are a literal step perform enchancment in mobility, the likes of which I’ve solely seen twice in thirty plus years. They’ve a stage of mobility relative to their measurement that’s astonishing. So we’re turning that new robotic into our league’s first “customary platform.”

One of many four-legged robots with wheels as toes. Picture from video taken at ICRA 2025, of the robotic tackling one of many take a look at lanes. Credit score: Adam Jacoff.

Sure, I wished to ask concerning the League’s plans for introducing an ordinary platform. Might you discuss extra about that?

This robotic will present a typical growth platform throughout groups with inherently good mobility inside our terrains and obstacles. The league is negotiating with the producer in order that groups can buy it at a comparatively low value, which can carry down the price of entry for brand new groups into the league. That stage of mobility inside our advanced terrains and obstacles makes the autonomy rather a lot simpler to develop – groups can concentrate on higher-level planning as a result of the lower-level autonomous gaits and behaviors are already comparatively efficient. Equally geared up groups can collaborate extra intently, examine efficiency extra instantly, and share software program options.

As a league, we are able to additionally begin introducing teaming duties for a number of robots. What sort of teaming may we discover? Perhaps a sure object of curiosity is simply too heavy to pull for one robotic, however might three of them work collectively to get it executed like a staff of canine pulling a sled? Or perhaps to hold payloads and provides down-range, or perhaps a non-ambulatory sufferer in a so-called litter again up-range to the bottom of operations. There shall be a number of potentialities.

This new class of robots will function in all the identical take a look at lanes together with all the opposite wheeled, tracked, and different robots developed by groups. We rating each robotic equally after all, however then can individually examine the quantitative trial outcomes for various lessons of robots. It would prove that it’s unfair to check a brand new legged robotic with wheels with a slower however stronger tracked robotic that’s been successful RoboCupRescue for years. It’s not like tracked robots don’t have their use instances in emergency response operations. As quickly as you get to duties that contain exerting forces on the surroundings, like turning valves, the robots profit from being heavier and stronger, which usually means tracks with impartial entrance and rear flippers to barter the advanced terrains and climb stairs. Everybody doesn’t have to undertake the brand new robotic to compete, groups ought to work on implementations that push the state of the science in no matter course they’ll. Then our Greatest-In-Class Awards can acknowledge the best robots in quite a lot of like-kind implementations, wheeled, tracked, legged, and perhaps now legged with wheels.

When humanoids come into the league, and they’re going to sooner or later, they’ll be welcomed and shall be in contrast instantly in opposition to different humanoids at the least initially. We are able to additionally combination efficiency throughout a category of robots to establish benefits and obvious weaknesses. Emergency responders can then take a look at all of the trial outcomes to see which techniques may work of their environments.

Have you learnt what number of groups shall be utilizing this new robotic?

I feel we’ve virtually twenty groups concerned this yr, however I’m undecided what number of shall be utilizing the brand new legged robotic with wheels. I anticipate perhaps three or 4 initially, which might make an inexpensive bracket of groups that may collaborate and examine extra intently than others. There’s a staff from Austria that was within the German Open that’s planning to come back to Brazil. I’m positive when extra folks see the robotic in motion they’ll need one. Particularly any new staff coming into the league ranging from scratch. In the meantime, the RoboCupRescue league is poised to guage that robotic design totally, add important operational capabilities, and push the state of the science a bit additional.

An instance of the legged, wheeled robotic in motion. Credit score: Adam Jacoff.

Will there be any completely different challenges this yr?

Sure, this yr we’re including a brand new model of our unique Stepfield terrain. They had been our first reasonably advanced terrain that impressed drastic adjustments in robotic designs twenty years in the past. The Stepfield terrain ensures the robots are all the time involved with a number of completely different terrain elevations, and there’s no respite all through, even for legged robots with wheels. For the previous couple of years, we received away from the Stepfield terrain as a result of it was the toughest terrain to copy at a brief venue. However the yr off for COVID was a development time for us by way of making the take a look at strategies as cheap and stowable as doable, in order that small analysis organizations can replicate the exams to follow, refine approaches, and consider themselves throughout their growth course of. We first discovered a option to fabricate new Stepfields terrains from bought, stackable crates. Now we’ve a fabricated model that accomplishes the identical goals much less expensively. So RoboCupRescue groups will validate that the take a look at equipment as fabricated can stand as much as the fixed rigor of a really extensive number of robots throughout lots of of trials in lower than every week. That’s why RoboCupRescue is a wonderful incubator for traditional take a look at strategies too.

Is there anything you’d like to focus on concerning the League?

One of many key options of RoboCupRescue is that the take a look at lanes fabricated for the competitors usually turn out to be a robotic take a look at facility for a neighborhood group, like a close-by emergency responder facility or college. It may be arrange perpetually, or it might probably transfer periodically to help regional competitions throughout the nation. We often attempt to join the native organizers with their nearest emergency responders who have already got robots or are searching for to buy robots. The Olympic Village is the very best analogy as a result of it stays behind after the competitors is over to be helpful to the native area. In order we host our twenty fifth yr of RoboCupRescue in Brazil, we add to our world map of ordinary take a look at services and new buddies that we are able to proceed to collaborate with professionally, and hopefully assist their regional emergency responders use robots to remain out of hurt’s means.

About Adam

Adam Jacoff is a robotics analysis engineer on the Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Know-how (NIST) which is a part of the U.S. Division of Commerce. Over the previous thirty years he has developed quite a lot of progressive robots and directed evaluations of greater than 100 others in a spread of sizes, together with the primary expertise readiness stage evaluation of autonomous mobility for the U.S. Military’s Experimental Unmanned Car (XUV) (2002-2003).   His present efforts are centered towards growing 50 customary take a look at strategies to objectively consider floor robots, aerial drones, and aquatic autos for public security operations. He has performed 50 worldwide robotic competitions utilizing the take a look at strategies as problem duties to information innovation and measure progress (2000-present), and greater than 100 robotic workouts to refine and validate the take a look at strategies with emergency responders and robotic producers (2005-present). These embrace dozens of complete robotic evaluations utilizing the take a look at strategies to quantify key capabilities guiding greater than $200M of buying selections for civilian and army organizations (2010-present). He’s now validating use of the take a look at strategies as repeatable follow duties to focus distant operator/pilot coaching and measure proficiency for credentialing (2015-present).  He obtained a B.S. diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Maryland and a M.S. diploma in Laptop Science from Johns Hopkins College.