- RoboCup-humanoid - lists.robocup.org

Special Offers for RoboCup Humanoid League 2022 competition
by Alessandra Rossi 23 Dec '21

23 Dec '21

Dear Humanoid League Teams, We received the following special offers to buy hardware products to be used for the RoboCup 2022 competition at a reduced price or under other special conditions. Hardware products can either be full robot platforms or relevant hardware parts needed for building RC-HL robots. Rhoban, Bordeaux University Institution: Rhoban, Bordeaux University Contact: Olivier Ly – ly(a)labri.fr / team(a)rhoban.com Description of the offer: The Rhoban Football Club proposes a fully assembled Sigmaban+ Robot (upgrade of the Sydney version), ready to play for RoboCup2022. Price per robot is 30K € including a case for protection, 100K € for a read-to-play team. The source code we used during final is available along with install instruction at https://github.com/Rhoban/kid_size_public/tree/public_2019 Offers valid until: February 28th, 2022 RobotShop inc. Institution: RobotShop inc. (www.robotshop.com) Contact: Coupon code to be used at checkout. Description of the offer: 30% discount code valid on products from the category: https://www.robotshop.com/en/lynxmotion-ses-v2-parts.html Offers valid until: March 1st, 2022 ROBOTIS Institution: ROBOTIS (http://en.robotis.com) Contact: Coupon code to be sent to ROBOTIS at contactus2(a)robotis.com Description of the offer: DYNAMIXEL X Series (XM & XH series) at a 20% discount. (1-year basic warranty is included) Please note that the quoted prices do not include shipping, tax, any local customs or handling charges. Offers valid until: April 29th, 2022 For getting the coupon codes to be used for RobotShop and ROBOTIS, please contact me. Best regards, Alessandra Dr. Alessandra Rossi Postdoctoral researcher PRISCA research lab University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy Visiting Researcher Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Adaptive Systems Research Group University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

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Re: [RoboCup-humanoid] RoboCup-humanoid Digest, Vol 5, Issue 4,There seems to be a small error in the online submission system!
by 김성준 12 Dec '21

12 Dec '21

Dear Sir, Hello! There seems to be a small error in the online submission system. Now, my online submission application system time remaining(RoboCup Humanoid League: Kid Size) is said to 365 days, 23 hours, 32 minutes. As far as, I know Robocup 2022 Humanoid League:Kide Size Submission deadline is December 19th(12th -> 19th), 2021. Thank you for your help in this matter! -----Original Message----- From: <robocup-humanoid-request(a)lists.robocup.org> To: <robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org>; Cc: Sent: 2021-12-11 (토) 19:18:54 (GMT+09:00) Subject: RoboCup-humanoid Digest, Vol 5, Issue 4 Send RoboCup-humanoid mailing list submissions to robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to robocup-humanoid-request(a)lists.robocup.org You can reach the person managing the list at robocup-humanoid-owner(a)lists.robocup.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of RoboCup-humanoid digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Reminder, Deadline extension, and COVID19 update: Call for Participation RoboCup Humanoid League Virtual Season (Jasper G?ldenstein) RoboCup-humanoid mailing list RoboCup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid

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Call for Participation RoboCup Humanoid League Virtual Season
by Jasper Güldenstein 11 Dec '21

11 Dec '21

* Call for Participation * RoboCup Humanoid League Virtual Season https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ December 17th 2021 to April 30th, 2022 =========================================================== The RoboCup Humanoid League is inviting interested teams to apply for participation in the Humanoid League Virtual Season. The Humanoid League will host competitions in the following categories: * KidSize: 40 – 100cm robot height (FIFA size 1 ball) * AdultSize: 130 – 200cm robot height (FIFA size 5 ball) For more detailed class definitions and more information about the humanoid league, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/, specifically the robot specifications found at https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ 1. Humanoid League Virtual Season ================================= A virtual soccer competition will be organized similar to RoboCup 2021 but distributed over several months with games every other week. Since the Virtual Humanoid Soccer Competition will be held entirely online, all teams registering for the competition will be admitted. The exact tournament format will be announced once the number of participating teams is known. Details on the setup and implementation will be published and continuously updated on the RoboCup Humanoid League website:https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ 1.1. Simulator & Game Rules ---------------------------- As in RoboCup 2021, Webots with the Humanoid League simulation world, the automatic refereeing system, and the simulation interface will be used. We keep the specifications of the simulation interface and the server up to date on the this link: https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ Currently, the automatic refereeing system and the simulation world are being worked on. Most significantly, domain randomization will be introduced. This includes reasonably uneven ground, randomized reset positions of the robots starting poses, and varying lighting conditions, backgrounds and ball textures. As with any major change during the competition, these will be announced and finalized 3 weeks before the next game. Bug Fixes are not subject to this deadline. Robot models must be submitted 2 weeks before the start of the competition to be verified. If you would like to update your robot model during the season it must be submitted by Monday 8am CET of the week the next game is scheduled. The rules of the virtual game will initially be the ones used for RoboCup 2021 but will be updated during the competition. The 3 week notice period also applies here to allow teams to adapt their software. 1.2. Competition Schedule ------------------------- Matches will be played approximately every other week (see preliminary schedule). Whether Saturday or Sunday will be the day of streaming will be determined by a vote of the participating teams during the sign-up process. Two workshops are planned (see dates below) with a focus on sim2real transfer. Further information on these will follow soon. Matchday 1: Dec 18th / 19th Matchday 2: Jan 8th / 9th Matchday 3: Jan 22nd / 23rd Workshop 1: Jan 28th/29th/30th Matchday 4: Feb 5th / 6th Matchday 5: Feb 19th / 20th Matchday 6: Mar 5th / 6th Matchday 7: Mar 19th / 20th Matchday 8: Apr 2nd / 3rd Workshop 2: Apr 8th/9th/10th Matchday 9: Apr 16th / 17th Matchday 10 Apr 30th/ May 1st Please note that the exact dates of the games are subject to change in case of significant bugs in the simulation or automatic refereeing software or an overlap with regional RoboCup tournaments. In these cases, the teams will be notified as early as possible about a shift in the game schedule. 1.3. Competition Setup ----------------------- The competition will be performed entirely in the cloud. Each team is guaranteed to play a minimum of 8 games. The exact tournament format will be announced once the number of participating teams in each size class has been determined. Details of the server specification are the same as in RoboCup 2021 and can be found here https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ The deadline for teams uploading their software is Thursday, if Saturday is selected as matchday, and Friday if Sunday is selected. The simulation will then be run in the cloud and a video of the match streamed online on the match days. Access to log files will be provided to teams after the match has been streamed. Teams will be given possibilities to test the setup of the competition. Several test scenarios will be offered to teams in early December. These scenarios will be similar to the ones offered during the mock competition. Teams must pass the tests in the order presented if they have not already proven so during previous virtual competition that they pass these tests. *Robot model inspection*: A manual inspection is carried out by members of the TC, making sure that the model does not crash or significantly slows down the simulator. The TC also checks that the team.json is in the proper format and all fields are set. *Connection test*: We launch a simulator with one robot instance, and we start a game to verify whether Webots accepts the connection. *Walking test*: We launch a simulator with one robot instance, and we start a game with a cap of 5 minutes real time. We inspect the video for evidence of the robot being able to walk in the ready or play state. *Penalty shoot-out*: We launch a simulator and one robot instance with the teams being paired (if possible). Teams need to be able to move the ball to pass. *Short game*: We launch a simulator and 4 robot instances with the teams being paired (when it is possible). The game time is capped to 2.5 minutes per half time, RR style. Teams need to be able at least to touch the ball to pass. If custom test scenarios are required by teams to test specific components of the cloud infrastructure together with the team’s software, please let us know. 1.3. Registration ------------------ The registration process for the Humanoid League Virtual Season is done in two steps. First, you need to submit general data about your team via the submission system of the Humanoid League: http://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/. All teams that fulfill the formal requirements are automatically qualified to participate. The following data is required: * Team name * URL of the team’s home page * Name of team leader or team contact person * E-mail address of team leader or contact person * Postal address of the team, team leader or contact person * Competition category: Humanoid League Virtual Season Kid or Adult * Letter of Commitment Please note that teams applying for participation in several classes must register individually for each class and pay the appropriate registration fee. The registration form must be filled out online at http://submission.robocuphumanoid.org/ <http://submission.robocuphumanoid.org/> In the second step, the teams must pay a fee of $340 for the entire tournament season (including a minimum of 8 games plus tests). Payment needs to be made to the Federation via Wire Transfer or PayPal. Detailed instructions are sent to teams after registration. Please note that teams need to cover the respective transfer and conversion fees that apply for your country when transferring money to the US. For PayPal, US-based teams need to pay 2% of processing fees (around 7 USD), for international teams a 4% processing fee applies (around 14 USD). The fees for wire transfer depend on the country and specific bank. 1.4. Submission of Robot Model File ------------------------------------ Robot models used in the competition must comply with the specifications published here: https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-vs2022/ They must be submitted by December 1st, 2021. Teams are highly encouraged to make their robot model available to the research community with an open-source license. This is, however, not a requirement for participation. In order for the Technical Committee to ensure the robot models comply with the laws of the game, the full robot file needs to be made available to the Technical Committee during the qualification process. 1.5. Registration Fee --------------------------- Each team must pay a registration fee of $340. This fee will only be used to cover the costs to run the simulations of the games and tests in the cloud. All work (e.g. automatic referee development or organisation) is done by volunteers. The amount is calculated by using the experience from RoboCup 2021 and projecting it to the number of games we plan. Any extra funds will be used for future Humanoid League Virtual Seasons as a buffer. 2. Submission System ===================== The submission system will be opened Monday November 15th and all application material must be submitted online at http://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/. 3. Deadlines ============= Registration system open: November 16th, 2021 Deadline for submission: November 26th, 2021 Deadline for payment of registration fee: December 10th, 2021 Submission of robot model file: December 1st, 2021 With best regards, Technical Committee of RoboCup Humanoid League 2021

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Call for Participation Humanoid Soccer Competition and the Humanoid Research Demonstration
by Jasper Güldenstein 11 Dec '21

11 Dec '21

* Call for Participation * RoboCup 2022 Humanoid Soccer Competition https://humanoid.robocup.org/ July 11 - 17, 2022, Bangkok, Thailand https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-2022/ Important: This Call for Participation concerns the Humanoid Soccer Competition and the Humanoid Research Demonstration. A separate call may be published for the Humanoid Open Competition. =========================================================== The RoboCup Humanoid League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2022 Humanoid Soccer Competition and the Humanoid Research Demonstration in Bangkok, Thailand. The Humanoid League will host competitions in the following categories: * Humanoid Soccer Competition * KidSize: 40 - 100cm robot height (FIFA size 1 ball) * AdultSize: 130 - 200cm robot height (FIFA size 5 ball) * Humanoid Research Demonstration In addition, we may organize a Humanoid Open Competition with a CfP following later this year. For more detailed class definitions and more information about the humanoid league, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/ and join the humanoid league mailing list at: https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid Teams are also encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. Teams must provide the following qualification material: 1) Humanoid Soccer Competition ======================================= You do not need to provide a full robot team to apply for competing in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The qualifying round of Drop-In games will be played with only one robot per team. Teams that cannot provide a full team of robots (four robots in KidSize and two in AdultSize) will be grouped to form a playable team for the main tournament games. In case of a sufficient number of qualified teams, the sub-leagues (KidSize and/or AdultSize) will be divided into League A and League B. Teams are seeded into the leagues based on the results of an initial round of Drop-In games. Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two others teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other team's material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the teams own qualification status. 1.1) Robot Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their robot demonstrating the robots' autonomous soccer playing skills. The recommended skills needed for qualification are: * localization of unknown ball position, * walking ability towards the ball, * robot positioning at the ball for kicking, * kicking the ball towards the goal, * ability of getting up autonomously from a fall (KidSize only) We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game, recordings from actual soccer matches are admissible. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot behavior without wires attached. The qualification video must be supplied as a link via youtube. The maximum duration of the video must not exceed 5 minutes. The qualifying team is responsible to ensure that the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially in regards to music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified! 1.2) Software Description --------------------------------------- During the registration process, a form will be provided to submit details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for the participation in the 2022 competition. Algorithms shall be described in such detail that they can be reproduced by other teams. If software from other teams or standard algorithms are used, references need to be included. If the algorithm has been adapted to be used in the competition, those deviations need to be described in appropriate details. The form will include questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Team Communication * Behavior * Contributions to the RoboCup community, e.g. software releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure or data sets Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current or anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2022 competition. If the software has not changed or no changes are anticipated to be made until the competition, teams may copy & paste a response from previously submitted material. 1.3) Extended Abstract --------------------------------------- A two-page extended abstract must be submitted. For teams which have previously participated in the Humanoid League, the extended abstract needs to: * include lessons learned from the participation in previous RoboCup competitions * highlight major problems that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition * outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2022 competition * describe the implementation status of the changes planned by the time of submitting the application For teams which have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League, the Extended Abstract needs to pitch the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research interests. The Extended Abstract is limited to 2 pages maximum and must be submitted in PDF format. Extended Abstracts are designed to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If used, they need to be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The Extended Abstract must follow the LNCS format which can be downloaded from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do to follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 1.4) Robot Specification --------------------------------------- Regardless of the kid or adult size competition, a one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Walking speed in cm/s * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g. “6-DoF IMU” is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Other specs 1.5) Rules --------------------------------------- This year’s rule discussion has not been completed yet. Therefore, no update has been made except for the change of the minimum size of Adult Size robots to 130cm. All other hardware specifications will stay the same for RoboCup 2022 such that teams already know if their robot qualifies. We will initiate the rule discussion with proposals from the discussion at RoboCup 2021 in the coming weeks. The current version of the rules may be found here: http://humanoid.robocup.org/wp-content/uploads/RCHL-2020-Rules-Dec23.pdf We expect the final version of the 2022 rules to be published in early spring 2022. 1.6) Registration --------------------------------------- The following information is required for registration: * Team name * URL of the team's home page * Name of team leader or team contact person * E-mail address of team leader or contact person * Postal address of the team, team leader or contact person * Competition category: Humanoid Soccer Competition KidSize or AdultSize Please note that teams applying for participation in several categories must submit individual application material for each class, and pay the appropriate registration fee for each category. At least one team member must register on each team. Furthermore, teams in different categories must be able to compete, and guarantee to have members acting as referees available independently and at the same time. 1.7) Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- Regardless of the specific competition, a one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid League Technical Committee including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2022 Humanoid League competition, * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as referee during the competition. The letter must be printed, hand signed by the team leader, digitally scanned and submitted either as a JPG, PNG or PDF file. If the letter does not contain a hand-written signature, it is not considered valid. The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions into consideration for qualification. 2. Humanoid Research Demonstration (HRD) ======================================= The RoboCup Humanoid League invites the research community to apply for showcasing the latest research and development results that are relevant for humanoid robots, during the virtual Humanoid League 2022. Researchers are invited to submit their demonstrations independently of whether they participate in the RoboCup competitions, symposium or have a RoboCup team. Contributions will be evaluated for scientific and technical excellence. 2.1. Topics of Interest --------------------------------------- We welcome demonstrations containing new ideas, concepts, practical studies, and experiment demonstrations relevant to the field of Humanoid Robotics. This year, the special theme of the Humanoid Research Demonstration is sim2real learning and we particularly invite teams to showcase their research in this area. Other topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Components, joints and mechanics; * Soft robotics; * Anthropomorphic vs. non-anthropomorphic; * Walking, running, jumping and other humanoid locomotion; * Adaptability and scalability; * Sensors and perception; * Control and stability; * Dealing with falling; * Reflexes and learning; * Energy supply and efficiency; * Robot design and robotic kits; * Virtual robots and simulation; * Benchmarking; * Bipedal robots applied to real problems; * Education with and for humanoid robots. 2.2. Procedure --------------------------------------- The Humanoid Research Demonstration will take place in one or several sessions and participating teams are asked to show a demonstration of the system live in Bangkok or stream their demonstration from their lab during the session. As a back-up solution, each team needs to provide a video demonstration prior to the beginning of the tournament. If the demonstration is performed in Bangkok, the Humanoid League will provide a humanoid league soccer playing field for the demonstration. However, the members of the Technical Committee of the Humanoid League understand that for some demonstrations this setup may not be ideal and will try to accommodate all teams. If a team requires other arrangements for the demonstration, it must submit a request to the Technical Committee at least 3 months before the competition to allow sufficient time for alternative arrangements. 2.3. Application --------------------------------------- We invite teams to apply to participate in the Humanoid Research Demonstration by submitting the following material: 2.3.1. Demonstration Data * Demonstration title; * URL of the group’s home page; * Name of the contact person; * E-mail address of the contact person; * Postal address of the contact person. 2.3.2. Demonstration Video The first part of the material is a video of your robot or robotic part demonstrating its skills or a brief overview of the software demonstration if your demonstration does not involve a physical embodiment. The video must be supplied as a link to it via YouTube. The maximum duration of the video is 3 minutes. The proponent is responsible to ensure that the video adheres to YouTube’s TOS (especially in regards to music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. 2.3.3. Hardware Specification If the demonstration includes any type of hardware to be showcased, a one-page specification (PDF) for each different type of humanoid type robot/mechanism used that includes the following: * Robot/mechanism picture; * Robot/mechanism name; * Size of the humanoid type robot/mechanism; * Weight of the robot/mechanism; * Robots/mechanisms joint specification; * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s)); * Computing unit(s); * Other specifications 2.3.4. Short paper A short paper describing the robot, robot part of software and its task and required environment, limited to four (4) pages including text, references, tables, and figures. The short paper must follow the LNCS format which can be downloaded fromhttp://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 <http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0>. Please pay special attention to the “Author guidelines” that you’ll be able to find there. 3) Plagiarism ======================================= Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other peoples' words, code, and ideas is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. See the point “Publishing Ethics” at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… for a more detailed description. The teams and team members that plagiarize other peoples' work, and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 4) Online Submission ======================================= All qualification material must be submitted online at http://submission.robocuphumanoid.org/ 5) Important Dates ======================================= Humanoid Soccer Competition * Submission system open: November 29th, 2021 * Submission deadline: December 12th, 2021 * Team Review Period: December 13th - December 27th * Announcement of qualified teams: January 21st, 2022 Humanoid Research Demonstration * Submission system open: November 29th, 2021 * Submission deadline: February 14th, 2022 6) Publication ======================================= Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams the qualified teams submitted material will be made publicly available on the Humanoid League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid League. 7) Visa Process ======================================= If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to Thailand, please start the VISA process as soon as you receive your notification of qualification. If you are not sure if you're eligible for a VISA-exempt, please consult the official website of the Thailand government for information. With best regards, Technical Committee of RoboCup Humanoid League 2021

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Re: [RoboCup-humanoid] RoboCup-humanoid Digest, I am writing to enquire about the letter of commitment
by 김성준 03 Dec '21

03 Dec '21

Dear Sir, Hello! I am writing in connection with letter of commitment. I want to participate in Humanoid Soccer Competition(Robocup2022). We are interested in obtaining the letter of commitment! (when and how to receive) Thank you for your help in this matter. -----Original Message----- From: <robocup-humanoid-request(a)lists.robocup.org> To: <robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org>; Cc: Sent: 2021-12-03 (금) 03:57:13 (GMT+09:00) Subject: RoboCup-humanoid Digest, Vol 5, Issue 1 Send RoboCup-humanoid mailing list submissions to robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to robocup-humanoid-request(a)lists.robocup.org You can reach the person managing the list at robocup-humanoid-owner(a)lists.robocup.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of RoboCup-humanoid digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Reminder: Call for Participation Humanoid Soccer Competition and the Humanoid Research Demonstration (Jasper G?ldenstein) RoboCup-humanoid mailing list RoboCup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid

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RoboCup Humanoid League Newsletter - December 2021
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 03 Dec '21

03 Dec '21

Dear Humanoid League Teams, In this November Newsletter, I will cover news around the RoboCup world championship in Thailand in 2022, the update of the Humanoid League rule book, as well as the start of the new Humanoid League - Virtual Season. tl;dr: Important Dates ---------------------- December 3rd: Application deadline for Humanoid League - Virtual Season December 12th: Application deadline Humanoid Soccer Competition and Humanoid Research Demonstration 2022 December 17th/18th: First stream of the Humanoid League - Virtual Season December 23rd: Begin of rule discussion period in the league forum December 27th: Deadline for providing peer-reviews (HSC applicants only) RoboCup World Championship 2022 ------------------------------- The Call for Participation for the Humanoid Soccer Competition (KidSize and AdultSize) as well as the Humanoid Research Demonstration to be held in Thailand next year was published. Details can be found here: https://humanoid.robocup.org/hl-2022/hl-2022-cfp/ Please also note the kind special offers we have received for next years competition again. For the Humanoid Soccer Competition, you need to submit your application material until December 12th. For the Research Demonstration, submissions are welcome until February 14th. For both competitions the submission system has already been opened and can be found here: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com Please note that the minimum height requirement for AdultSize was changed back to 130cm as it was in previous years. If you are curious about the reasoning behind this, you can have a look at the following Discourse thread: https://hl.forum.robocup.org/t/2022-call-for-participation/532 Humanoid Soccer Competition - Rule Updates ------------------------------------------ As in previous years, the league will be included in the rule book updates for the competition next year. As it was discussed during last RoboCup, we will attempt to merge the rule book for the virtual competition and the regular Humanoid Soccer Competition back together. In addition, there are some further updates planned that were discussed during last RoboCup and the previous year. We are currently in the stage of compiling a list of open topics for discussion and plan to open the discussion period in the Discours forum by December 23rd. You will then have time until January 21st to discuss the topics or bring up new topics for discussion, after which we will compile the different proposals into a vote to send to the league in February. Humanoid League - Virtual Season --------------------------------- Signing up for the virtual season ends today! So if you haven't already signed up in the submission system, don't forget to do it before midnight anywhere on earth today. If you have already signed up but did not pay the participation fee yet, I would also kindly remind you to do so as soon as possible. We have also noticed that we did not give teams a possibility to upload their robot models yet - we will get in touch with the team leaders today and let them know how they can upload their robot models, so stay tuned for that e-mail. If you are not registered for the league but still want to watch the streams we will have every other weekend, then watch out for the announcement of the streaming schedule. After we have gotten all applications we will put together a stream plan and let you know when the streams will happen. You can join the streams on the league's Twitch channel, where you can also watch the recordings of the virtual world championship we had this summer: https://www.twitch.tv/robocuphumanoidfielda Get in touch! -------------- If you want to talk about topics with the Technical Committee or other teams, you are always welcome to use this mailing list, the leagues forum (https://hl.forum.robocup.org) or the league's Discord channel (https://discord.gg/VegjhDk8). Cheers, Maike (for the Humanoid League Technical Committee) -- Dr. Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann Postdoctoral Researcher Foundations of Computational Linguistics Laboratory University of Potsdam, Germany Pronouns: she / her More information: https://www.maike-paetzel.de/

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RoboCup Humanoid League Newsletter - November 2021
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 05 Nov '21

05 Nov '21

Dear Humanoid League Teams, In this November Newsletter, I will cover news around the RoboCup world championship in Thailand in 2022, the Humanoid League - Virtual Season development and the ongoing preparations for it. RoboCup World Championship 2022 ------------------------------- The Trustees have recently announced that next year's RoboCup competition is planned as an in-person event in *Bangkok, Thailand, from July 11th to 17th*. We know that we are still in uncertain times when it comes to Covid and that many of you may be worried about travel restrictions and quarantine rules still in place next summer and while we are prepared to switch to a hybrid or online event if necessary, at the moment, the Federation is determined to organize an in-person event if at all possible. We are currently finalizing the Call for Participation, which will be sent out within the next few days. The preliminary *application deadline is December 12th, 2021*, with a peer-review period for teams following shortly after. So please plan accordingly to make sure you can submit your own application material and your peer review in time. More information will follow as soon as possible. If your team or your company has a special hardware offer for teams participating in the RoboCup Humanoid League, you can send your proposal for a special offer to the Technical Committee until the end of November. You can find further instructions on what to include in the Call for Special Offers that was sent out today. Humanoid League - Virtual Season --------------------------------- As you can see, the virtual tournament that we plan to start in December has a new name - thanks to everyone who participated in the Discord poll! Our proposal is currently under review by the Trustees, and we are hoping to get their final approval within the next days. As soon as we have their endorsement, we will send out a Call for Participation. According to the current time plan, we have the first games scheduled for the last weekend before the Christmas break (December 17th / 18th) and the deadline for teams to register at the end of November. Note that there will not be a formal qualification process, and all interested teams will be able to participate. We still need your help! ------------------------- We are very grateful that so many of you showed up in the meetings to help us with organizing the Humanoid League - Virtual Season, improve the AutoReferee and the simulated environment, as well as the competition infrastructure. However, there is still a lot to do, so if you or anyone in your team has a bit of time, we are still looking for people to contribute, especially in improving the software stack. If you are interested in joining, just send me an e-mail or message me on Discord. Cheers, Maike (for the Humanoid League Technical Committee) -- Dr. Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann Postdoctoral Researcher Foundations of Computational Linguistics Laboratory University of Potsdam, Germany Pronouns: she / her More information: https://www.maike-paetzel.de/

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Call for Special Offers (RoboCup Humanoid League)
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 05 Nov '21

05 Nov '21

========================================================= Call for Special Offers (Humanoid League) ========================================================= Research institutes and companies that produce and sell relevant hardware for RoboCup humanoid teams are encouraged to send their proposals for special offers to the Technical Committee of the Humanoid League. A special offer is limited in time and enables teams and institutes participating in RoboCup 2022 to buy a hardware product used for the RoboCup 2022 competition for a reduced price or under other special conditions. Hardware products can either be complete robot platforms or relevant hardware parts needed for robot construction. Special offers will be published on the humanoid league website and sent out via the RoboCup email list. Special offers are *not* considered an official sponsoring of the RoboCup event. Important dates: ----------------------------------------------------------- * Deadline: November 29th 2021 * Notification: December 3rd 2021 Submission guidelines and procedure ---------------------------------------------------------- Send an email with a the following information to the Humanoid League Technical Committee <rc-hl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org> : 1. Name of institution or company and contact information of a person responsible for the offer 2. Description of the special offer as it shall appear on the website (max 100 words). This MUST include information about the product, the price and a point of contact 3. Explanation of relevance to the league (if not obvious from the description) 4. Date of expiry for the special offer All proposals for special offers will be reviewed by the Technical Committee and checked for relevance to the league. The responsible person for the special offer will be notified on December 3rd about the decision. Kind regards, Maike (for the Humanoid Legue Technical Committee) -- Dr. Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann Postdoctoral Researcher Foundations of Computational Linguistics Laboratory University of Potsdam, Germany Pronouns: she / her More information: https://www.maike-paetzel.de/

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vRoHOW 2021 - Call for participation
by Patrick Göttsch 03 Nov '21

03 Nov '21

Dear fellow RoboCup teams, This is the Call for participation of the virtual Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (vRoHOW) 2021. The event will take place over the weekend from 3rd to 5th of December. As last year, the event will be driven by contributions in the form of talks, presentations and workshops. Discord will be our venue with multiple rooms and areas prepared. Combined with additional tools and your participation we will bring the virtual RoHOW to life. For participation do the following: Send a message to hulks(a)tuhh.de until the 15th of November 2021 expressing your interest in participation. This message should include your team name and a contact person. There will be no participation fee! We are looking forward to see you during the event! Keep safe and stay healthy Team HULKs

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[meetings] First call for proposals for Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials at the 31st IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2022)
by Alessandra Rossi 29 Oct '21

29 Oct '21

Dear colleagues, Apologies for any cross-posting Please find attached below the first call for proposals for Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials at the 31st IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2022) that will be held in Naples (Italy) on August 29th - September 2nd, 2022. More information can be also found on the website and social media: http://ro-man2022.org IG: @ieeeroman2022 Twitter: @ROMAN2022ieee Facebook: @ieeeroman2022 For any questions and further information about the Special Session and Workshop/Tutorial proposal, please email workshop(a)roman2022.org or contact info(a)roman2022.org. Kindest regards, Alessandra Rossi, Minsu Jang and Tariq Iqbal Publicity Chairs Dr. Alessandra Rossi Postdoctoral researcher PRISCA research lab University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy Visiting Researcher Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Adaptive Systems Research Group University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom ================================================================================== *** FIRST CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND TUTORIALS *** 31st IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2022) August 29th - September 2nd, 2022 Naples, Italy http://ro-man2022.org IG: @ieeeroman2022 Twitter: @ROMAN2022ieee Facebook: @ieeeroman2022 ================================================================================== The RO-MAN2022 Organising Committee invites proposals for Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials to be held during the 31st IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication in Naples, Italy from August 29th to September 2nd, 2022. The RO-MAN conference is a leading forum where state-of-the-art innovative results, the latest developments as well as future perspectives relating to robot and human interactive communication are presented and discussed. The conference covers a wide range of topics related to Robot and Human Interactive Communication, involving theories, methodologies, technologies, empirical and experimental studies. Proposals related to the study of robotic technology, psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, human factors, ethics and policies, interaction-based robot design and other topics related to human-robot interaction are welcome. This year's theme is “Social, asocial, and antisocial robots”. One of its goals is to explore how to create robots that are capable of being welcomed as our assistants and companions in society while, at the same time, not being perceived as “asocial” or “antisocial”. A second aim is to understand how we can create robots perceived as facilitators of the natural development of human beings and communities, rather than obstacles. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINES SPECIAL SESSIONS DEADLINE: JANUARY 10, 2022 WORKSHOPS/TUTORIALS DEADLINE: JANUARY 10, 2022 SPECIAL SESSION PROPOSALS Prospective special session organisers are invited to submit a proposal via the main conference's submission system. The organisers of the accepted special sessions will be responsible for the high-quality peer-review of the submitted papers according to IEEE standards (i.e. at least 2 anonymous peer-reviews). The organisers will be Associate Editors (AE) for the proposed session, and they will be responsible for assigning reviewers and judging the submitted paper for the special session. Proposals should include the following information: • Title: Please propose a title that shows the relevance of the session for the RO-MAN community and the innovativeness of the proposed topic. • Aims and scope: Please explain why the chosen topic is novel and relevant, with the potential to contribute to the growth of the RO-MAN community, and is also suitable for either the conference theme or a new emerging theme with potentially high impact. • Tentative speakers: Please provide a list of prospective contributing authors and tentative titles. Special Sessions are normally expected to have 4 to 6 papers. Invited speakers or session-related demonstrations (such as renowned speakers or industrial talks) could be a part of the Special Session. • Organisers and biographies: Please provide a short bio-sketch of the session organisers including their experience in the topic of the Special Session. The guidelines to submit a special session proposal are available at the Special Session section on the RO-MAN 2022 website or by clicking on this link. WORKSHOPS and TUTORIALS PROPOSALS Workshops and tutorials should focus on key areas of established and emerging research, and should provide a forum for participants to exchange new ideas and discuss recent results. We encourage proposals for topics that have substantial community interest, with a creative and innovative program, led by recognised leaders in their fields, that will attract a broad and diverse audience. Organisers of approved workshops and tutorials will be asked to create and maintain a dedicated webpage, which will be used to promote the workshop/tutorial, and disseminate relevant and updated information. Proposals should include the following information: • Title • Format (indicate full or half day, tutorial or workshop) • Main organiser (one person only, complete address, phone, and email) • Co-organisers (complete address, and email) • Previous editions (if any) • Statement of objectives • Intended audience • List of speakers • List of topics • Plan to solicit participation • Workshop organisation • Plan for inclusion, diversity and equity The guidelines to submit a workshop/tutorial proposal are available at the Workshop and Tutorial section on the RO-MAN 2022 website or by clicking on this link. ================================================================================== The primary criteria in the evaluation of special session and workshop/tutorial proposals will be the timeliness of the topics, the quality, track record, and diversity of the proposers and speakers, the coherence of the proposal, the novelty or creativity, and the expected value added to the overall conference. Aspects of diversity that will be considered include the age, gender, national origin, background, and workplace of the proposers and speakers. We will give priority to proposals that fully follow these requirements. Moreover, we encourage the submission of workshops, tutorial and special sessions organized by communities that are under-represented within the RO-MAN activities. For any questions and further information about the Special Session and Workshop/Tutorial proposal, please email workshop(a)roman2022.org or contact info(a)roman2022.org. SPECIAL SESSION CO-CHAIRS JongSuk Choi, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KR) Mariacarla Staffa, University of Naples Parthenope (IT) Kerstin Haring, University of Denver (USA) TUTORIAL / WORKSHOP CO-CHAIRS Amir Aly, University of Plymouth (UK) Daniel Riccio, University of Naples Federico II (IT) Raquel Ros, La Salle - Universitat Ramon Llull (ES)

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