- RoboCup-small - lists.robocup.org

Small Size League Community Survey Result
by Lucas Cavalcanti 15 Dec '25

15 Dec '25

Dear SSL RoboCup Teams, Thank you to everyone who participated in the SSL Surveys. We received responses from 20 teams and 48 individual members, providing an extensive view of the community’s perspectives. Team Survey Highlights: - 85% of teams plan to remain in SSL and participate in regional or super-regional events. - 75% of teams reported concerns about funding. - 55% of teams expressed concerns about university or organizational support. - 20% of teams indicated they may stop participating. Individual Survey Highlights: - Only 15% of individuals expressed interest in transitioning to the Humanoid league. - Some members highlighted concerns about losing the international symposium/conference forum. - The concerns on SSL maintenance by individuals include: funding, the future of teams, loss of international status, community fragmentation, and the risk of teams dissolving. Comments Shared by Team Members: - Many individuals expressed a deep sense of motivation and pride in building custom robots and contributing to the SSL community. - There is widespread concern about the loss of international recognition, which could impact funding, and the ability to attract new members. - Members fear that without a strong international event, the SSL community may fragment, leading to fewer teams and less collaboration. - Several respondents highlighted the importance of maintaining opportunities for hands-on engineering and innovation, which they feel may be lost if the focus shifts to commercial humanoid robots. - The community values the camaraderie and learning experiences unique to SSL, and many are worried about losing it. What This Means The data reveals an engaged community: 85% of teams plan to continue participating. This provides a powerful foundation for us to keep the Small Size League. The committees are dedicated to turning this strong desire to stay into a sustainable league. We acknowledge the concerns regarding funding and international recognition. As previously communicated by the EC, TC, and OC: - Official recognition: We have been explicitly invited by the Trustees to continue our league under the RoboCup name at regional events after 2027. - SSL World Cup: To directly address fears of fragmentation and loss of international status, the committee is planning to select one regional event per year after 2027 as "the SSL World Cup." This would rotate among our strong existing events to maintain a unified community. - Time to Prepare: We have over two years to develop these plans, secure transition support, and ensure team health. The committees will always support the community. The results of this survey confirm that we have something special worth working for. We are committed to make sure the SSL remains a place of innovation and cooperation. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and feedback. Best Regards, SSL EC/TC/OC Nicolai Ommer Tobias Heineken Leonardo da Silva Costa Emiel Steerneman Joao Guilherme Oliveira Carvalho de Melo William Stuckey David Brand Emy Ganzeboom Lucas Cavalcanti

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CfP RoboCup German Open 2026
by Nicolai Ommer 03 Dec '25

03 Dec '25

RoboCup German Open 2026 Call for Participation - Major Leagues https://robocup.de/german-open Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from March 10-14 in Cologne. *Cologne **with its welcoming vibe** offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, **history, **and lively atmosphere.* From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. ---------------------------- RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) ---------------------- After the team setup on March 10th, the competitions will take place from 11 th to 14th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: - RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League - RoboCupSoccer Small Size League - RoboCupRescue Robot League - RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League - RoboCup@Home League For Major team registration please visit: https://portal.robocup.de/registry Registration deadline: *January 31st, 2026*. Late registration deadline (team members only): *February 28th, 2026*. Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation *as early as possible* as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event. Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. ------------------------------- Further information on co-located events ------------------------- RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe's largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it. ---------------------------- RoboCup Junior (German teams) ----------------------------------- From March 12-14, 2026 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2026 in Cologne. The best teams that have qualified in the nine previous German qualifying tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams in the 2026 German Junior Final will qualify for RoboCup 2026 in South Korea and for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2026 in Austria. ----------------------------- Organization Committee ---------------------------------- - Oskar von Stryk (General Chair) - Julian Werner (Project Lead) - Alexander Ferrein (German RoboCup Committee, Spokesperson Major) The Major Leagues Organizing Committee: - Heinrich Mellmann (Humanoid Soccer League, former Humanoid & Standard Platform Leagues) - Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League) - Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May, Thomas Sander (Rescue Robot League & RMRC) - Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League) - Alexander Ferrein, Christoph Steup (Smart Manufacturing League) The Junior Leagues Organizing Committee: - Lara Trappmann - Oskar Kirmis - Niko Lockenwitz - Michelle Bialdyga - Christian Häußler - Lena Eickhoff - Stefanie Haupt ---------------------------- Co-located Events ------------------------------------------------------ Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2026 the second German Robotics Conference of the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) will take place. The conference will bring together the leading German researchers in AI-based robotics. The education fair “didacta”, will also take place in Halls 6 to 8, between March 10-14, 2026. All participants will also have access to didacta. ---------------------------- Important dates ---------------------------------- - 2025-12-01 Major teams early registration starts - 2026-01-31 Major teams registration deadline, team member registration deadline - 2026-02-28 Late registration deadline (team members only) - 2026-03-10 Set-up day Major League teams - 2026-03-12 to 16 Competition days - 2026-03-14 Major and Junior finals The event is open to the public during all days from 9 am to 5 pm. ----------------------------- Contact ---------------------------------- Please contact *germanopen(a)robocup.de* <germanopen(a)robocup.de> for any questions. See you all at the 23rd RoboCup German Open 2026! Best regards, German RoboCup Committee

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Fwd: [RoboCup-worldwide] RoboCup German Open 2026 - Save the Date 10 - 14/03/26
by Nicolai Ommer 12 Nov '25

12 Nov '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- Von: Ferrein, Alexander Antoine via RoboCup-worldwide < robocup-worldwide(a)lists.robocup.org> Date: Mi., 12. Nov. 2025 um 07:55 Uhr Subject: [RoboCup-worldwide] RoboCup German Open 2026 - Save the Date 10 - 14/03/26 To: robocup-worldwide(a)lists.robocup.org <robocup-worldwide(a)lists.robocup.org > *RoboCup German Open 2026* *Save the Date - Major Leagues* https://robocup.de/german-open/?lang=en Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from *March 10-14* in Cologne. Cologne with its welcoming vibe offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, history, and lively atmosphere. From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. *RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams)* After the team setup on March 10th, the competitions will take place from 11th to 14th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: - RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League - RoboCupSoccer Small Size League - RoboCupRescue Robot League - RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League - RoboCup@Home League Registration opens *December 1st, 2025*, further announcements will follow. Registration deadline *January 31st, 2026* Late registration deadline (team members only) *February 28th, 2026*. Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation *as early as possible* as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event. Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. Depending on sufficient interest from teams in participating, additional major leagues, such as the Middle Size League, may be offered. *Further information on co-located events* RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe’s largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it. -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org _______________________________________________ RoboCup-worldwide in RoboCup.org Mailing list To send a message to this list send email to robocup-worldwide(a)lists.robocup.org To unsubscribe send an email to robocup-worldwide-leave(a)lists.robocup.org

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RoboCup 2026 - Meet the Committee!
by Emy Ganzeboom 22 Oct '25

22 Oct '25

Dear Small Size League community, As we look back on RoboCup 2025 in Salvador, Brazil, we do so with pride and perspective. It was a memorable edition, filled with innovation, collaboration, and the unmistakable spirit of our Small Size League community. The announcement that our league will conclude on the international stage after 2027 marks a defining point in our shared history. Even so, our immediate focus continues: preparing for RoboCup 2026 in Incheon, South Korea. While the long-term future rightfully draws attention, the work ahead for 2026 remains essential. A different email with an update to our general state of mind regarding the future and some of the questions raised in the survey (as well as its general results) will follow soon. We recognize that the coming years may bring uncertainty and hard choices for some teams. We respect each team’s path and thank everyone for their continued dedication. Our goal is to make all future editions of RoboCup SSL just as purposeful and inclusive. With that in mind, we are pleased to introduce the organizing, technical, and executive committees for RoboCup 2026 in Incheon, South Korea. This dedicated group is already hard at work to ensure another engaging and inspiring competition. You can learn more about them in the attached file. Kind regards, The Small Size League Committees

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SSL Community Meeting - Slides and Surveys
by Emy Ganzeboom 18 Aug '25

18 Aug '25

Dear SSL Community, Thank you for joining today’s SSL Community meeting. It was great to see so many teams represented and to have an open conversation about the upcoming changes to our league. Your engagement and input are essential for moving forward together. As promised, you can find the slide deck from the meeting via this link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18JJsEyRWgVhZHaZA-gD26b-0A-NQkX_atpr… A refined transcript from the Q&A of the meeting will be sent out soon. To better understand your perspectives, concerns, and experiences, we have prepared three surveys: - SSL Changes – Team Survey (please submit one per team): https://forms.gle/DrqSRpWbdttZgYKv5 - SSL Changes – Individual Survey (anyone can fill out): https://forms.gle/E7gRL1qgmj2n8P4E6 - Team Demographics: https://forms.gle/LcvLwY76n9oN8aLa9 We would greatly appreciate your input. It will help us gain a clearer picture of your team’s and the league’s needs and allows us to better understand how we can support our community moving forward. Feel free to include questions that you already asked during the meeting to allow us to get the full picture of all concerns and questions. Please complete the surveys by August 22nd AoE. We are here for you. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions that you don’t see fit for the survey, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach the OC, TC, and EC via email. If you are unsure which email to pick, just write to all three. - Organizing Committee: rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org - Technical Committee: rc-ssl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org - Executive Committee: rc-ssl-ec(a)lists.robocup.org <rc-ssl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org> If you want to discuss certain topics related to the SSL changes with the SSL community or other communities within RoboCup, join these discord servers: - RoboCup SSL: https://discord.gg/t724m8c - RoboCup Official: https://discord.gg/tde42GSBFE - RoboCup Junior: https://robocup-junior.github.io/soccer-rules/discord/ - RoboCup Humanoid: https://discord.gg/kzRYabzs Let’s keep working together to make the SSL the best it can be. Thank you once again for your time, ideas, and dedication. Kind regards, SSL OC/TC/EC

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Major Updates Regarding the Future of the Small Size League
by Nicolai Ommer 30 Jul '25

30 Jul '25

Dear SSL RoboCup Teams, There are major upcoming changes to RoboCup Soccer that affect the SSL and its members. What is Happening? To start, the trustees are taking substantial action to streamline RoboCup Soccer in pursuit of the 2050 goal of playing a match against the World Cup winner. The first and most substantial change is that all soccer leagues will be converging on humanoid (bipedal) robots by 2028. The new leagues will be related to humanoid robotics and simulation only. The Small Size League will no longer be a major category event after the 2027 RoboCup (the SSL will be at the 2027 event, and not at the 2028 event and after). This is true for many of the other leagues, and there will be substantial changes to the humanoid rules and non-soccer events as well. The official press release from the RoboCup federation can be found here: https://www.robocup.org/news/181 The SSL community has several transition paths forward. We understand each team is unique, and will have team specific concerns. We have two major paths forward right now: SSL regional events, possibly with Junior collaboration, and transition to humanoid league. We have explicitly been told by the trustees we are invited to continue our league under the RoboCup name at regional events after 2027. Our community already has several strong regional events including the German Open, RoboCup Brazil, and the Japan Open. The EC/TC/OC believes we have strong support from the organizers of these regionals, though work will need to be done to transition to and support these events if additional teams attend. The committee is evaluating ways to keep the international community together, like by selecting one regional per year, after 2027, as a “super regional” that would rotate among the current regional events similar to the international event. The trustees have also begun a transition plan for teams who would like to switch to one of the humanoid leagues and remain on the world event stage. For teams looking to transition quickly, the trustees are working to get discounts and collaborative use of commercial bipedal robot platforms. We will communicate additional details about the humanoid rules and transition assistance as it becomes available. Expect additional communication directly from the governing bodies of global RoboCup. We may also have an opportunity to convert the SSL to a simplified bridging league in Junior, with the intention of creating a pipeline of students from RoboCup Junior, through the SSL, into humanoid. If this succeeds, we will likely still hold regional events, but then will also have a presence on the world stage in some form, though not in the major event category. This is an evolution of the collaboration games we have been hosting with Junior for the past few years. The committees are working hard to quickly determine what this will look like. We understand these are big changes and they may come as a surprise to all of you. The committee members only just found out about the new direction during this year's RoboCup, as the overall desires of the RoboCup trustees became more clear. What to expect in the coming months. Obviously, things will be changing. The committees will be hosting a meeting for teams that could not attend the competition, and for teams that would like to meet with us again. This meeting will take place on August 9th. We will announce the time soon. It will cover the same content that was covered in the Open TC/OC meeting in Brazil. We will have time for questions at the end. After, expect a series of short surveys about transition paths and team concerns. This will help us support you, regardless of what path makes sense for your team. Second, expect technical challenges and other requests from the committee to look differently. The things we ask you to do may shift focus to better support strong regionals. The committees have always and will always support our community and teams. It has been amazing getting to know each and every one of you. You and your teams make our SSL community special. We have over two years to develop our plans and make sure teams are healthy. We are working hard for you. Feel free to email us directly with specific concerns or questions, even though we may not have answers right now. We are committed to clear and timely communication as new information becomes available. We look forward to seeing everyone in South Korea for next year’s major event! Best Regards, SSL EC/TC/OC Nicolai Ommer Tobias Heineken Leonardo da Silva Costa Emiel Steerneman Joao Guilherme Oliveira Carvalho de Melo William Stuckey David Brand Emy Ganzeboom Lucas Cavalcanti

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Presentation for Junior - Major Committee Meeting
by David Brand 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Hi, I have started with a draft for the Presentation of the Cooperation between major and junior this evening and am currently still working on filling it. Nonethelesse, please have a look at it and add additional things, as well as correct things: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15T91coH-2V5sCZrwMavAp1KP6mBrJWqedEo… Bets regards, David.

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Open OC/TC Meeting Road Map and Slide Deck
by Will Stuckey 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Hello Everyone, As part of the open OC/TC meeting, we usually discuss the future of the league. The OC and TC have prepared a draft of a 5 year roadmap and have also prepared a slide deck (which we may not be able to present) summarizing a plan we have to take the league forward. This is a guide for discussion, not a final document. We would like feedback at the OC/TC meeting. For any team who would like to give extended feedback, we also welcome replies to this email. As detailed in the documents, we have identified three possible major thrusts for improvement: 1. Improving the new and young team experience 2. Improving motion control through benchmarking 3. Exploring and integrating novel AI Links included Road Map Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CkvQC72z7nOF-CXU_ZERyf2YjiO2FxNZG9BaXuB… Summary Slide Deck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OiC37CqpEBelR_R5LyKga_e_RLm2oHcN/ed… We look forward to hearing your thoughts at the meeting and via email. Best, Will + OC/TC

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Technical Challenge : Obstacle Avoidance scenarios
by Emiel Steerneman 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

Dear teams, Apologies for the previous email. I pressed some secret *send-this-email-out-immediately *keybinding. Attached to this mail you will find the 9 scenarios for the obstacle avoidance technical challenge. Note that there are *no *virtual lines between any robots in these scenarios. If you have not signed up yet for either or both of the technical challenges <https://ssl.robocup.org/history-of-technical-challenges/>, you can do so via the link <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WkwqbklRrxbV9sm3unPaqdBr0mw-JFMI-Lw_FB5UPm…> below. If your team will not attend any technical challenges, please also fill this out via the link below. The signup deadline is *today, July 15th, 20:00 o’clock BRT(Salvador local time).* Signup link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WkwqbklRrxbV9sm3unPaqdBr0mw-JFMI-Lw_FB5UPm… <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WkwqbklRrxbV9sm3unPaqdBr0mw-JFMI-Lw_FB5UPm…> Best regards, Emiel Steerneman - TC

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Technical Challenge : Obstacle Avoidance scenarios
by Emiel Steerneman 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

Dear teams, Attached to this mail you will find the 9 scenarios for the obstacle avoidance technical challenge. Note that there are *no *virtual lines between any robots in these scenarios. If you have not signed up yet either or both of the technical challenges, you can do so via the link below. Also, pl https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WkwqbklRrxbV9sm3unPaqdBr0mw-JFMI-Lw_FB5UPm…

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