Making ready for kick-off at RoboCup2025: an interview with Common Chair Marco Simões

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

RoboCup is a world scientific initiative with the purpose 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 quite a lot of leagues, will this yr happen in Brazil, from 15-21 July. We spoke to Marco Simões, one of many Common Chairs of RoboCup 2025 and President of RoboCup Brazil, to seek 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 shall 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 anticipate 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 not sure in regards to the last numbers. Nevertheless, we anticipate to have about 300-400 groups and round 3000 rivals. We have now been serving to with visas, so we hope to see increased participation from groups who couldn’t attend within the earlier two years because 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 group: We have now simply agreed on new world league companions, together with the Chinese language corporations Unitree, Fourier, and Booster Robotics. They’ll convey their humanoids and four-legged robots to RoboCup. These won’t solely be flaunted to the general public but additionally utilized by some groups. They’re wonderful robots with excellent expertise. So, I feel this shall 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 big enhance in our RoboCup group. Within the final two years, Brazil has had the fourth-largest variety of groups and individuals at RoboCup in Bordeaux (2023) and Eindhoven (2024). This was a really huge 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 during the last ten years. This yr, we’ve a large number of individuals due to the decrease journey prices. We predict to be within the prime three this yr by way of the best variety of individuals.

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

It’s spectacular that so many RoboCupJunior individuals go on to hitch 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 manage no less than one competitors in every state in the course of the yr, and the most effective groups from every state come to the nationwide competitors along with the Main Leagues. We manage 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 college, a lot 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. We have now seen an enormous enhance within the variety of groups within the @Residence League. Within the nationwide competitors in Brazil, we’ve greater than 12 groups collaborating. Again in 2014, we solely had one group collaborating. So we’ve had an incredible enhance—this League is without doubt one of the highlights in Brazil.

Extra groups are additionally collaborating within the Small Dimension 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 Dimension League. So, during the last 5 years, we’ve seen some Brazilian groups within the prime three positions in Main Leagues within the RoboCup world competitors. It is a results of the rise within the variety of groups and the standard of what the groups are creating. So at the moment, we’ve an elevated variety of publications and groups collaborating within the competitors with good outcomes, in order that’s essential.

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 could 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. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Will you be collaborating within the competitors this yr, or will you be focusing totally in your function as Common 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 collaborating 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 group, we’ve a lot of developments with deep reinforcement studying and a few new novel methods that permit our groups to realize new expertise, and we’re combining the brand new expertise with our former multi-agent coordination technique. Because of this, I feel we could have a sturdy group within the competitors as a result of we’re not 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 group that performs very nicely. We have now a great group and anticipate to realize a higher place this yr. Within the latter years, we have 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 must work on expertise equivalent to strolling, kicking, and working. Groups at the moment are making an attempt to develop new expertise. 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 line 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 expertise however don’t know the right way to exploit them strategically within the sport. Our focus is just not solely on creating new expertise but additionally on utilizing them strategically. We’re at the moment engaged on a really modern method.

This yr, the simulation league will run a problem utilizing a brand new simulator primarily based on MuJoCo. If the problem goes nicely, we might 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. Picture: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Lastly, is there the rest you’d like to spotlight 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 planet. They’ll talk about 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 essential to have these hyperlinks between trade 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 indication from the native drive displaying what they do to assist 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 loads of historic websites to see and a few nice leisure choices, equivalent to 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 Common Chair of RoboCup2025, and President of RoboCup Brazil.