Gearing up for RoboCupJunior: Interview with Ana Patrícia Magalhães

Motion from RoboCupJunior Rescue at RoboCup 2024. Photograph: 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 highschool youngsters, and sees tons of of children collaborating in quite a lot of challenges throughout totally different leagues. This yr, the lead organizer for RoboCupJunior is Ana Patrícia Magalhães. We caught up along with her to learn the way the preparations are going, what to anticipate at this yr’s competitors, and the way RoboCup conjures up communities.

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

RoboCup will happen from 15-21 July, in Salvador, Brazil. We count on to obtain folks from greater than 40 nations, throughout the Junior and Main Leagues. We’re getting ready every little thing to accommodate all the scholars collaborating 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 motels 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 supply all the mandatory help for them, as a result of they’re so younger. We’re additionally organizing a welcome occasion for the Juniors in order that they’ll expertise a bit of little bit of our tradition. It’s going to hopefully be expertise for them.

The Juniors will probably be positioned on the primary degree of the mezzanine on the conference middle. They are going to be separate from the Main Leagues, who will probably be on the bottom flooring. After all, they’ll have the ability to go to the Main Leagues, and speak to the scholars and different rivals there, however it will likely be good for them to have their very own house. There may 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. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Do you’ve got any concept of roughly what number of groups will probably 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 a variety of groups. Every crew has about three or 4 college students, and lots of the dad and mom, academics and professors journey with them too. In whole, we count on about 600 folks to be related to RoboCupJunior.

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

Have you ever obtained extra RoboCupJunior individuals from Brazil this yr because of the location?

Sure, we have now many groups from Brazil competing. I don’t know the precise quantity, however there are undoubtedly extra Brazilian groups this yr, as a result of it’s loads 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 crew right here in Salvador that certified for the tremendous regional occasion within the US and our crew 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, it will likely be doable for all of the Brazilian groups certified to take part as a result of it’s cheaper for them to come back right here. So it’s a giant alternative for growth 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 in opposition to 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 related 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. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

Your function at this RoboCup will probably be organizing RoboCupJunior. Are you additionally concerned within the Main Leagues?

Sure, so my predominant 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 crew participates within the @House 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. Photograph: RoboCup/Bart van Overbeeke.

RoboCup was final held in Brazil in 2014, and I perceive that there have been numerous new those who have been impressed to affix a crew after that. Do you assume 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 may 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 expect it might need an excellent larger influence, as a result of there may be extra social media now and the information can unfold loads 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 dwell 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’ve got been engaged on organizing RoboCup2025 for over a yr, and there may be nonetheless a lot to do. We’re excited to obtain everyone right here, each for the competitors and to see town. We’ve got a stupendous metropolis on the coast, and a few stunning 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 Laptop 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 Heart for Analysis in Laptop Structure, Clever Programs and Robotics (ACSO). Her present analysis focuses on service robotics and software program engineering, particularly associated to using Synthetic Intelligence (AI) within the software program growth course of and in Mannequin-Pushed Improvement (DDM).