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[CFP] Humanoids 2026 Conference
by Ross Mead 25 Apr '26

25 Apr '26

CALL FOR PAPERS: - What: 2026 IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots - When: December 6-9, 2026 - Where: Santa Clara, California, USA - Web: https://2026.ieee-humanoids.org — IMPORTANT DATES: - Jul. 24, 2026: Paper submission deadline - Jul. 27, 2026: Supplementary video deadline (optional) - Oct. 6, 2026: Notification of paper acceptance/rejection - Oct. 16, 2026: Early-bird registration deadline - Oct. 26, 2026: Camera-ready paper deadline - Dec. 6-9, 2026: Humanoids 2026 conference — Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to invite you to contribute to the 2026 IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots to be held in Santa Clara, California, USA, from December 6 through December 9, 2026. OVERVIEW: Humanoids 2026 aims at bringing together top researchers from humanoid robotics and related disciplines with leading companies in the field. In light of a year of rapidly evolving humanoid technologies with several new platforms coming onto the market and bringing us closer to a wider real-world deployment. Our community envisions innovative areas in humanoid robotics that lie at the intersection of general-purpose physical, cognitive, and motor capabilities, while also considering the scientific understanding of interactions with humanoid and anthropomorphic systems. FORMAT: The conference will be organized as a 4-day event opening on December 6th (Sunday) with public panels, seminars, and hackathons, followed by workshops and tutorials on December 7th (Monday), followed by 2 days December 8th-9th (Tuesday-Wednesday) for the main conference with plenaries, keynotes, oral and interactive sessions, and industry events. A centrally located exhibition will feature the latest humanoid technology from both industry and academia. TOPICS: We invite papers in all areas related to humanoid robotics, including, but not limited to: - Human biomechanics and motor control, human body and behavior modeling - Bionic / human-inspired design principles for humanoids - Human-inspired robot control - Whole-body dynamics and control - Optimization, optimal control, and model predictive control methods - Learning methods for humanoid robots - Robot modeling for locomotion and/or manipulation - Exoskeleton / wearable robot design and control - Prosthesis design and control - Physical and social human-humanoid interaction - Dynamic legged locomotion (bipeds, quadrupeds, etc.) - Loco-manipulation, legged manipulation - Dual arm dexterous manipulation - Design, control, and application of multi-finger hands - Stability and robustness of humanoid and legged robots and humans - Simulation and physics-based animations from computer graphics - Humanoid heads and faces, geminoids - Novel materials, mechanisms, and actuators for humanoids - Perception for humanoids - Human-centered robotic studies and applications - Neuro-robotics and brain-robot interfaces for humanoids and humans - Real-world applications for humanoid robots (industry, healthcare, home, space, disaster response) - Benchmarks, performance indicators for humanoid robots - Ethical and social challenges of humanoid robot deployment - Long-term deployment of humanoid, bipedal, or dual arm manipulation robots PAPERS: The paper submission deadline is July 24th, 2026, Anywhere on Earth (AOE). The maximum paper length is 8 pages, including references; additional pages are not permitted. Papers must be submitted in a PDF format; the maximum paper PDF file size is 6 MB. Papers can be submitted via PaperPlaza: https://ras.papercept.net/conferences/scripts/start.pl SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEOS: Each paper can be accompanied by one (1) optional supplementary video. You may upload or re-upload this attachment up to three (3) days after the paper submission deadline (i.e. by July 27th, 2026, AOE). Videos must be submitted in an MP4, MPG, or MPEG format; the maximum video file size is 20 MB. PAPER PRESENTATIONS: Accepted papers will be presented either in single-track oral sessions or in interactive poster sessions. All accepted papers will appear in the proceedings of the conference and on IEEE Xplore without distinction. MORE INFORMATION: For more information, please visit the conference contributions webpage (https://2026.ieee-humanoids.org/call-for-papers) or contact the Program Chairs: Luis Sentis, Serena Ivaldi, and Gentiane Venture (humanoids2026-tc(a)ieee.org). We look forward to your contributions to Humanoids 2026! — The Humanoids 2026 General Chairs: - Andra Keay (Silicon Valley Robotics) - Ross Mead (Semio)

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RoboCup 2026 Small Size League Rule Update
by Emiel Steerneman 13 Apr '26

13 Apr '26

Dear SSL community, *Rule change* I would like to bring your attention to a change in the SSL rulebook <https://robocup-ssl.github.io/ssl-rules/sslrules.html>. A new substitution area has been created behind the goals on Div A fields. This is done by extending the width of the area behind the goals from 0.3 meters to 0.6 meters. The new rule can be found in section 9.1.1 Goal Substitution Area (Division A only) <https://robocup-ssl.github.io/ssl-rules/sslrules.html#goal-substitution-area> *A robot is considered to be in the Goal Substitution Area if it is at least 0.3 meters outside the field, behind its own goal line. Robots are allowed to remain in the Goal Substitution Area while the game is running. They are allowed to move freely and must comply with the following rules:* - *Minimum ball distance during stop or free kick* - *Must not interfere with ball placement* Additionally, the following line has been added to section 3.1 Number Of Robots <https://robocup-ssl.github.io/ssl-rules/sslrules.html#_number_of_robots> *Robots in the Goal Substitution Area do not count towards this limit.* *Protobuf message* Following the rule change, the protobuf message messages_robocup_ssl_geometry.proto has been updated with two new fields: *boundary_width_goal_line* and *goal_substitution_area_width. * *Autorefs, GC* The GameController and the TIGERs autoref have been updated in accordance to this rule change. All latest changes to this year's rulebook can always be found at https://robocup-ssl.github.io/ssl-rules/sslrules-diff.html Best regards, Emiel Steerneman - TC

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RC2026: Registration Open
by David Brand 31 Mar '26

31 Mar '26

Hello, RoboCup is getting closer every day and the registration system is finally open. All teams that have successfully claimed a slot already and are in the list of the Committed Teams should have received a CVENT invite by now and therefore be able to register their team. Due to issues in the recent years, the person assigned as team leader must also be joining as a participant during the event. In case that will not be the case and you would like to change the team leader, please reach out to the OC mailing list, so that we can make the appropriate changes. Please give us the info before you start with the registration of the team and its members as it is much easier to give you a new invitation slot instead of changing an existing one. If your team is competing for the first time at an international RoboCup event, be aware that there are First Time Fee Waivers. These will eliminate the need to pay the team registration fee (member fees usually still apply), but neither the team, nor a single team member can have previously taken part in an international event. If you think you are eligible, please get in contact with the OC, so that we can guide you through the process. Registration Timeline: Early Registration: until May 4th Regular Registration: May 5th - Jun 2 Late Registration: Jun 3 - Jun 16 (additional members only - no new teams) Pricing & Visa letters: More info about the pricing, visa letters and more can be found on the CVENT page and its subpages. Please do not get irritated, the competition will take place in Incheon, but due to a lot of things being the same as last year, there are still some traces from Brazil present. [RC2026 - CVENT page](https://web.cvent.com/event/4f86f2fa-cfac-446d-aa11-c1f712e4ece8/webs… Please have in mind that in case your team is conditionally qualified or if you would like to update your (E)TDP, the Final Submission Deadline to submit updated material is March 31st AoE (so in about 17 hours). In case you have already submitted your material and have not yet heard back from us yet, thanks a lot, we are currently in the process of checking it and will get back to you as soon as possible. In case of any open questions or issues, please do not hesitate to contact any committee member. Looking forward to seeing you in Incheon, David. ------------ RoboCup Small Size League | OC Member

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Updated Qualification Video for RoboCup SSL 2026 - Team ZJUNlict
by 云斗 27 Mar '26

27 Mar '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organizing Committee, Thank you for your detailed feedback regarding our preliminary qualification. Following your instructions, we have updated our qualification video to include at least one full minute of continuous game time with the status board overlay clearly visible. We are providing two versions to ensure the content fully meets your requirements: Primary Video: https://youtu.be/kGvfqMKSj0o (This is our main update based on your specific feedback.) Alternative/Backup Video: https://youtu.be/o3VvFColIOU (Please refer to this version, segment from RoboCup 2024 SSL Grand Final, if the content or format of the primary video is still deemed insufficient.) Additionally, I previously sent our signed Confirmation Letter via this email (954669575(a)qq.com). Could you please let us know if they have been received and accepted? We look forward to your final confirmation. Best regards, LIU Hanchuan Team Leader, ZJUNlict College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University

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2026 Qualification Video - TritonBots [Updated]
by IEEE Robocup 26 Mar '26

26 Mar '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organization Committee, Please see below for a link to the updated TritonBots qualification video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YEir2M9gfh_JQpTkpyLwJVkLbbGRoAe/view?usp=… . In addition to adding cooperative play against obstacles, we updated our video to showcase our most recent offensive and goalkeeping strategies. We improved the previous strategies to achieve more competitive results. If the video is inadequate for full qualification, we would really appreciate knowing early so that we may try to film an adequate version. However, our team is on spring break until March 29, so no one may be on campus to refilm until then. Thank you! Sincerely, Raymond Rada and Lukas Cao robocup(a)ieeeatucsd.org

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RoboJackets Updated Qualification Video
by Sanat Dhanyamraju 25 Mar '26

25 Mar '26

Hello SSL community and Organizing Committee, Here is RoboJackets' updated qualification video, which includes better footage of passing against static obstacles recorded in our lab. https://youtu.be/OE4BfTIHt4c Thanks! Sanat Dhanyamraju, Project Manager RoboJackets

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Re: Preliminary Results and Slot Allocation
by David Brand 24 Mar '26

24 Mar '26

Hello, We hope you are all well and that preparations for the RoboCup are going according to plan. We are sorry for the delay on our end, but unfortunately it has taken us much longer to get back to you, than expected. This year, we decided to verify the quality of all the reviews, which made the review process much more time-consuming. During that process, we came across a few reviews that we did not feel comfortable sharing with the reviewed team. Since these reviews did not meet the standards we want to see in this community and would have been painful for the teams—who spent their free time on the project—to read, we have decided to redact them. This is the first time this has happened, so it took us some time to reach this decision. In response to that, we will also be issuing an updated guidance and policy for next year. We apologize if your team is affected by this decision and now has only two reviews. To publish the remaining reviews as soon as possible, unfortunately, we were unable to provide alternatives. If you have questions about the two reviews your team received, please contact any committee member, and we will try to help. You should have received the reviews for your team within the last hour now that the decisions have been made. Since the Final TDP submission deadline is in a couple of hours, we have decided to reschedule it to March 31 AoE. This means you have an additional week to submit an updated (E)TDP or video. We hope this is enough time for anyone who wants to improve their (E)TDP. In case you already submitted updated materials, please be patient, we will be looking into them in the next few days and get back to you. The deadline to accept an offered slot remains unaffected. If you were offered a slot in the first phase and can commit to joining us in Incheon, please send us your letter of commitment by March 31 AoE. More information about the slot process and your team's current slot status can be found here: [Qualification Slot Process](https://ssl.robocup.org/robocups/robocup-2026/robocup-2026-qualifi… [Slot Status](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1E3hFgMjvlyj9cwQWjiQdw8w… In case of any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to contact any committee member. Thank you for your patience, David. On behalf of all SSL OC/TC/EC members

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RoboCup Junior SSL Team (SSL Div B)
by Elias Braun 24 Mar '26

24 Mar '26

Dear SSL OC Team, Here is our qualification video for the 2026 World Open in Incheon SSL Div B League: https://youtu.be/Zb7akTgtPt8. We would love to get some feedback and hope to see you all in Incheon. Kind Regards - Team Faabs (Germany) - Team LNX (Slovakia) - Team ZD24 (Croatia)

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Update of Qualification Video - Team Ri-one (ID: 28)
by NAITO Yuzuru 24 Mar '26

24 Mar '26

Dear Tobias Heineken and the SSL Technical Committee, Thank you for your feedback regarding our preliminary qualification. We have updated our qualification video as requested. The new version includes a full minute of game time with no cuts, and the status board overlay is visible to show the game time and stoppages clearly. You can find the updated video at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPfPRX9M2xs Additionally, we are preparing the Letter of Commitment and will send it before March 31st. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you in Korea. Best regards, Yuzuru Naito Team Ri-one (ID: 28)

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[Redundant Copy] Updated Qualification Video and Participation Confirmation - Team ZJUNlict
by Hanchuan Liu 23 Mar '26

23 Mar '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organizing Committee, I am sending this second email from my alternative address to ensure our team's update reaches you before the deadline. Following your instructions, we have updated our qualification video to include at least one full minute of continuous game time with the status board overlay clearly visible. We are providing two versions to ensure the content fully meets your requirements: Primary Video: https://youtu.be/kGvfqMKSj0o (This is our main update based on your specific feedback.) Alternative/Backup Video: https://youtu.be/o3VvFColIOU (Please refer to this version if the content or format of the primary video is still deemed insufficient.) Additionally, I previously sent our signed Confirmation Letter via email 954669575(a)qq.com. Could you please let us know if they have been received and accepted? Important Notice regarding Replies: If you need to contact us or provide further feedback, please do not reply to this sending address. Instead, kindly send all future correspondence to my primary contact at: 954669575(a)qq.com We look forward to your final confirmation. Best regards, LIU Hanchuan Team Leader, ZJUNlict College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University

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Preliminary Results and Slot Allocation
by David Brand 11 Mar '26

11 Mar '26

Hello! Going through all participation materials is sadly taking a bit longer this year. Nonetheless most teams should have received a mail regarding their preliminary qualification status by now. In case you are missing a mail and are not already in contact with us, feel free to contact us as well. This delay also means that we cannot send out the reviews yet, as we still need to wait until all reviews are finished. In addition, there is some general information that we would like to share. As previously mentioned, we will be using a slot system again this year. More information can be found on the following homepage: [2026 Qualification Slot Process](https://ssl.robocup.org/robocups/robocup-2026/robocup-2026-qualifi… To claim an allocated slot, please fill out the Letter of Commitment template by the appointed deadline. You can use the [2026 Slot Status](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E3hFgMjvlyj9cwQWjiQdw8wdj7N… sheet in combination with your appointed team ID to see the status of your team in the qualification process. To see the qualification status of all teams, visit the [2026 Teams homepage](https://ssl.robocup.org/robocups/robocup-2026/robocup-2026-teams/), which will be updated throughout the process. The number of slots may increase if local circumstances allow. If teams cannot compete at RoboCup 2026 but still want to attend, we may be able to offer observer tickets, which allow access to the venue and team area to experience the competition. This is intended for new teams that struggle to qualify. If you can come, we would be very happy to see you experience RoboCup and our community. If you are interested, please indicate this in a reply so that we can have a better overview of how many teams are interested. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the OC/TC/EC. Thank you, David Brand. ------------ RoboCup Small Size League | OC Member

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Fw: Qualification video <RoboDragons>
by is211039＠cis.aichi-pu.ac.jp 06 Feb '26

06 Feb '26

I$B!G(Bve just noticed that I totally forgot to send the YouTube link into our qualification video. Very sorry! Let me forward the following email. Thank you. Taichi ________________________________ $B:9=P?M(B: $B@6?e!!B@0l(B <is211039(a)cis.aichi-pu.ac.jp> $BAw?.F|;~(B: $B?eMKF|(B, 1$B7n(B 28, 2026 7:41 $B8a8e(B $B08@h(B: rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org <rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org> Cc: ssl.robodragons(a)gmail.com <ssl.robodragons(a)gmail.com>; $B0KF#!!@51Q(B <masa-ito(a)ist.aichi-pu.ac.jp>; $BNkLZ!!9/G7(B <ya.suzuki(a)ist.aichi-pu.ac.jp>; $B;3yu!!M[0l(B <yamazaki(a)ist.aichi-pu.ac.jp> $B7oL>(B: Qualification video <RoboDragons> Dear SSL Community and Organizing Committee, We RoboDragons would like to share our 2026 qualification video: https://youtu.be/PzSzBWZOdOs Best regards, Taichi Shimizu---the leader of RoboDragons

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2026 Qualification Video RoboJackets
by Sanat Dhanyamraju 01 Feb '26

01 Feb '26

Hello! Here is our 2026 qualification video: https://youtu.be/fCF5lGMdwmI Thanks! Sanat Dhanyamraju RoboJackets

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2026 Qualification Video NAMeC
by NAMeC Team 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Dear SSL community and OC committee, You may find our participation intent video for the 2026 RoboCup SSL competition at Incheon, Korea, in the following video : https://youtu.be/WNj9TYCHLfE Hoping to see you all in Incheon ! Sincerely, Thomas Wanchai MENIER Team leader of NAMeC Vice-president of the NAMeC association

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2026 Qualification Video TIGERs Mannheim
by [TIGERs] Paul 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Hello everyone, Here is the Link to our Qualification Video: https://youtu.be/A3J4iHgLK20 Greetings Paul

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RC2026 Qualification RoboCupJunior SSL Team
by C R 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Hi all, Please find the 2026 Qualification Video forRoboCupJunior SSL Team below: https://youtu.be/x0EdRpS239E We look forward to meeting everyone in Incheon this summer! Christian Rieseberg On behalf of the RoboCupJunior SSL Team

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2026 Qualification Video The Bots
by The Bots SSL Robocup Team 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Dear all, Here is a link to our qualification video for Robocup 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkgL1szyzRg Hope to see you all in Incheon this summer!

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2026 Qualification Video - TritonBots
by IEEE Robocup 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organization Committee, Please see below for a link to the TritonBots qualification video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15xwsKpGvlEPlvtwgIJOnf9dvsPSvvDGE/view?usp=… . Sincerely, Raymond Rada and Lukas Cao robocup(a)ieeeatucsd.org

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2026 Qualification Video [TurtleRabbit]
by Tharunimm Jamal 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Greetings to the respective authority. I am Tharunimm Jamal and I send this email on behalf of the TurtleRabbit team. Please find below the link for this year's qualification : https://youtu.be/szo0Qjn-wM4?si=q4KF9AwIJZksCLRS Thank you for your support and we hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Tharunimm Jamal President, Robotics, Automation and Manufacturing Club Western Sydney University | Parramatta South Campus (EB.G.17)

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2026 Qualification Video RoboUnited
by Lee Taehun 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Greeting from the new SSL team RoboUnited, Please find the 2026 Qualification Video below: Qualification Video <https://youtu.be/Q3RTlKyq2Qo?si=HxMz9NPyISRMhJ2Y> We look forward to meeting everyone in Incheon this summer! Best, RoboUnited Management Team

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2026 Qualification Video Thunderbots
by UBC Thunderbots 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Hi all, Please find the 2026 Qualification Video for UBC Thunderbots below: https://youtu.be/gDhJCEn_ovw?si=zEjCA2rKVL-POvzz We look forward to meeting everyone in Incheon this summer! Best, *Raiaan Khan* (she/hers) *Captain* UBC Thunderbots Faculty of Applied Science The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus robocup(a)ece.ubc.ca | http://ubcthunderbots.ca/

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2026 Qualification Video - Warthog Robotics
by Fábio Roberto Alcazar Frias Júnior 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Dear SSL Community and Organizing Committee, On behalf of Warthog Robotics, I would like to share our Qualification Video for RoboCup 2026 - Incheon. Video Link: https://youtu.be/ZEnoWmlrCnE Best Regards, [cid:0853d69d-9483-4627-aa51-fb26e12d9de3] Fábio Roberto Alcazar Frias Júnior Project Manager - Hercules Lyra +55 (19) 99775-3188 Warthog Robotics - São Paulo University www.wr.sc.usp.br<http://www.wr.sc.usp.br/> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/WarthogRobotics/> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/warthogrobotics/>

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2026 Qualification Video Delft Mercurians
by Delft Mercurians 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

Dear Organizing Committee, Please find our qualification video at the following link: https://youtu.be/uARbl4AVg2U Kind regards, Alexander Nitters /Team manager Delft Mercurians/

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2026 Qualification Video First Order Robotics
by First Order Robotics 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear all, On behalf of First Order Robotics, I would like to submit our 2026 Qualification Video as part of the qualification process. Video URL: First Order Robotics SSL26 Qualification Video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf4jUierSVI&feature=youtu.be> Thank you! Kind Regards, *Joel Ng* Team Lead First Order Robotics *Linkedin: *https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-order-robotics/ *Youtube Channel: * https://youtube.com/@firstorderrobotics?si=YMEmB6p4nJLggEjc *Instagram Page:* https://www.instagram.com/icprotosoc/#

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2026 Qualification Video SeeGoals.
by Vilhelm Bergqvist 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Here is the link to SeeGoals Robocup 2026 Application video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_breJgbiQo

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2026 Qualification Video TRAPS
by TRAPS 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

I am submitting our *2026 Qualification Video for TRAPS* as part of the qualification process. Please find the video at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv7GPDRrWkw Please let me know if any further information is required. Best regards, Kai Inagaki TRAPS traps.robocup(a)gmail.com

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2026 Qualification Video RobôCIn
by Vinicius Alves Fialho 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organizing Committee and Community, Please find below the link to the qualification video for team RobôCIn (Brazil) for RoboCup 2026. *Video URL:* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQuZRWQsuJ0 Best regards, Vinicius Alves Fialho - RobôCIn Team Member

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2026 Qualification Video <NBT>
by 李科翰 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear All, Here is our qualification video for Robocup 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT5wFbB0Hn0 Best Regards, NBT Team

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2026 Qualification Video SRC
by 3.7 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Organizing Committee and Community, We are pleased to submit the qualification video for SRC for RoboCup 2026. Video Submission Details: Please find our team video at the following URL: URL1: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1LX6MBnE6j/?spm_id_from=333.1365.list.card… URL2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SajsxmJ3UFE Video Description: Team Capabilities: The video demonstrates the capabilities of our team SRC. It specifically highlights our robots' skills in Passing & Shooting, Obstacle Avoidance, and Ball Placement. Unedited Footage: As required, the video concludes with over 1 minute of unedited continuous game footage (starting at 00:49), showing our robots (Blue Team) operating in a match environment. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction (Shanghai Jiao Tong University - SRC) 00:05 - Passing & Shooting 00:18 - Obstacle Avoidance 00:41 - Ball Placement 00:49 - 1 Minute Continuous Game Footage (Blue Team) Our team has been working hard to prepare for this season, and we are eager to demonstrate our progress. We look forward to the opportunity to compete in RoboCup 2026. Thank you for reviewing our qualification material. If you have any questions or require any further information regarding our submission, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best regards, Fanqin Zeng, SRC

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FW: 2026 Participation Intent ibis
by Okada Ryoma 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear SSL organization committee The address was incorrect. I'll resend the email. We are the Japanese SSL team ibis. We are submitting our ETDP to participate in RoboCup 2026. Our team information is as follows. Team Name : ibis Country : Japan University : None Main contact’s name and email : Ryoma Okada (okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> ) Website (if you have one) : https://sites.google.com/ Preferred Division (A or B) (More Information) : Div.A Short rationale for the preferred division : We have prepared the required number of robots for Div.A and optimized their acceleration and velocity for Div. A. Furthermore, we placed third at Japan Open 2025 and possess the capability to compete in Div. A at RoboCup 2026. I will also submit the Qualification Video in a separate email, but I am including it in this email as well. We have uploaded it to the following URL：https://youtu.be/W0CDWyiT2Ms Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology From: Okada Ryoma <okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 9:11 AM To: 'robocup-small(a)lists.robocup.org' <robocup-small(a)lists.robocup.org> Cc: 'ibis.ssl.team(a)gmail.com' <ibis.ssl.team(a)gmail.com> Subject: 2026 Participation Intent ibis Dear SSL organization committee We are the Japanese SSL team ibis. We are submitting our ETDP to participate in RoboCup 2026. Our team information is as follows. Team Name : ibis Country : Japan University : None Main contact’s name and email : Ryoma Okada (okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> ) Website (if you have one) : https://sites.google.com/ Preferred Division (A or B) (More Information) : Div.A Short rationale for the preferred division : We have prepared the required number of robots for Div.A and optimized their acceleration and velocity for Div. A. Furthermore, we placed third at Japan Open 2025 and possess the capability to compete in Div. A at RoboCup 2026. I will also submit the Qualification Video in a separate email, but I am including it in this email as well. We have uploaded it to the following URL：https://youtu.be/W0CDWyiT2Ms Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology

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2026 Qualification Video "The A-Team"
by William Stuckey 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Hello SSL Community! We're excited to share our 2026 qualification video with all of you! https://youtu.be/GQUQszZdXYo We hope to see you all in Incheon this summer. Best, The A-Team

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Re: 2026 Qualification Video ibis
by Okada Ryoma 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear SSL organizing committee I forgot to CC you on the email submitting the qualification video. I'll add you and resend the email. Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology From: Okada Ryoma <okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 9:11 AM To: 'robocup-small(a)lists.robocup.org' <robocup-small(a)lists.robocup.org> Cc: 'ibis.ssl.team(a)gmail.com' <ibis.ssl.team(a)gmail.com> Subject: 2026 Qualification Video ibis Dear SSL organization committee We are the Japanese SSL team ibis. Submitting the ibis 2026 Qualification Video. We have uploaded it to the following URL：https://youtu.be/W0CDWyiT2Ms Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology

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2026 Qualification Video ibis
by Okada Ryoma 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear SSL organization committee We are the Japanese SSL team ibis. Submitting the ibis 2026 Qualification Video. We have uploaded it to the following URL：https://youtu.be/W0CDWyiT2Ms Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology

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2026 Participation Intent ibis
by Okada Ryoma 27 Jan '26

27 Jan '26

Dear SSL organization committee We are the Japanese SSL team ibis. We are submitting our ETDP to participate in RoboCup 2026. Our team information is as follows. Team Name : ibis Country : Japan University : None Main contact’s name and email : Ryoma Okada (okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> ) Website (if you have one) : https://sites.google.com/ Preferred Division (A or B) (More Information) : Div.A Short rationale for the preferred division : We have prepared the required number of robots for Div.A and optimized their acceleration and velocity for Div. A. Furthermore, we placed third at Japan Open 2025 and possess the capability to compete in Div. A at RoboCup 2026. I will also submit the Qualification Video in a separate email, but I am including it in this email as well. We have uploaded it to the following URL：https://youtu.be/W0CDWyiT2Ms Best, Ryoma Okada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学先端科学技術研究科光機能素子科学研究室岡田　竜馬 < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist. jp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoma Okada < <mailto:okada.ryoma.on9@ms.naist.jp> okada.ryoma.on9(a)ms.naist.jp > Photonic Device Science Lab Division of Materials Science Graduate School of Science and Technology Nara Institute of Science and Technology

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2026 Qualification Video ITAndroids
by Marcelo Roncato 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Dear Community and Organizing Committee, I am pleased to present the qualification video for RoboCup 2026 on behalf of the ITAndroids SSL team from Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA). Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS91FjoV0rY The video shows a segment of a regular match during RoboCup 2025. Kind regards, Marcelo Roncato Júnior ITAndroids SSL team

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2026 Qualification Video Ri-one
by NAITO Yuzuru 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Dear all, We are happy to share our qualification video for RoboCup 2026! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1ZS1ip_A3o Best regards, Yuzuru Naito Ri-one SSL Team https://rione.org/

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2026 Qualification Video ZJUNlict
by Hanchuan Liu 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Dear RoboCup SSL Community and Organizing Committee, On behalf of team ZJUNlict from Zhejiang University, we are pleased to submit our qualification video for RoboCup 2026. You can view or download our qualification video at the following URL: https://youtu.be/9aIUR8QCzks?si=V7z11f30NN3yxWj9 The video demonstrates our robots' current performance and technical capabilities in accordance with the qualification requirements. Should you have any issues accessing the link, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best regards, Liu Hanchuan Team Leader, ZJUNlict Zhejiang University

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2026 Qualification Video ER-Force
by Jakob Wegmann 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Dear all, I am happy to share our qualification video for RoboCup 2026 with you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is9CFmTk7wM Best, Jakob Wegmann Robotics Erlangen e.V

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2026 Qualification Video luhbots
by Malte Sparenborg 18 Jan '26

18 Jan '26

Dear all, we are happy to share our qualification video for the RoboCup 2026: https://youtu.be/Lo-QsN-uCEA Best regards, luhbots -- Malte Sparenborg Teamleader luhbots Mail: malte.sparenborg(a)luhbots-hannover.de Website: https://luhbots-hannover.de/

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RoboCup 2026 Small Size League Qualification Slot Process
by Lucas Cavalcanti 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

Dear SSL community In the past years the SSL committee received more teams sign up for the RoboCup Small Size League competition than the event can host. Similar to last year, a slot allocation system will be used. For the RoboCup 2026 OC/TC has improved the slot allocation system with increased transparency for participating teams. The changes also reflect the advice of the Trustees to not use proof of payment when determining if a team is committed. The SSL teams also expressed negative feedback last year regarding this requirement. This year, the OC is requesting a “Letter of Commitment" in lieu of proof of payment. This brings the SSL closer to the process used by the HSL. The qualification process is explained below and is designed with the intent to have a fair slot allocation process. The system consists of ranked waitlists and an invitation pool so the status of every team will be clear. The Qualification Waitlist (Blue) All teams will start in the qualification waitlist, ranked by quality of qualification materials (video + TDP). When space becomes available in the Awaiting Response List and there are no eligible teams in the invitation declined waitlist, teams are moved in order of qualification ranking. The Awaiting Response List (Orange) The awaiting response list holds teams who have been offered a slot by the TC/OC, but who have not yet supplied a written letter of commitment. Teams on the awaiting response list are given 3 weeks from the time they are emailed by the TC/OC to supply the letter of commitment. This deadline is publicly posted on the qualification spreadsheet so other teams know when they might be offered a spot. If a team fails to supply a letter of commitment within the time frame, they are automatically moved to the Invitation Declined Waitlist (Purple, see below). The Awaiting Response List is always the same size as the number of remaining (unfilled) slots of the Committed List. When a team commits, the size of the Awaiting Response List decreases by one. If a team on the Committed List has to withdraw, the size of the Awaiting Response List will increase again. When a slot becomes available in the awaiting response list, a team is moved from: 1. The Invitation Declined Waitlist. If a team who was offered a slot declined but is now able to attend, they are given the first priority if a slot opens. They still have 3 weeks to supply a letter of commitment. Teams that have pre-supplied a letter of commitment are immediately moved to the Committed List. 2. The Qualification Wait List. If there are no teams in the Invitation Declined Waitlist or none of the teams on the Invitation Declined Waitlist determined they are now able to attend, then a team from the Qualification Wait list will be offered a slot. Once a letter of commitment is provided, the team is moved to the committed list. The Committed List (Green) Teams that are on the committed list have a guaranteed registration slot at competition. Teams join the committed list when they are offered a registration slot, and provide a letter of commitment within the allowed window. The Invitation Declined Waitlist (Purple) If a team is moved into the awaiting response list and determines they are unable to provide a letter of commitment (or otherwise cannot logistically or financially commit), the team is moved to the invitation declined waitlist. The invitation declined waitlist is NOT ranking based. Teams that enter the invitation declined waitlist first, stay at the top. This incentivizes teams that know they have low probability of being able to attend to notify the TC/OC early. If circumstances change, they will have the highest priority when a slot opens. If a team on this waitlist does determine they are not able to attend, they should email the TC/OC and we will note the change in status. If a slot opens in the awaiting response list, teams in the invitation declined waitlist (who have notified the TC/OC they are now able to attend) will be given the first priority to provide a letter of commitment. Teams may pre-provide this letter when notifying the TC/OC of the change in their status, and if this letter is pre-provided the team on the invitation declined waitlist will be immediately moved to the committed list and slot secured. Anonymity To keep the ranking of the teams anonymous for the community, each team will receive a team number with their qualification confirmation. The slot allocation document will contain the team numbers but not the team names. This way, teams can only know their own ranking and position, but not the one from other teams. The Letter of Commitment To confirm your slot, you must submit a signed letter addressed to the SSL Committee. By signing, your team commits to: - Participation: Attending the RoboCup 2026 competition in person. - Referee Availability: Providing at least one team member with expert knowledge of the rules to serve as a referee. Confirmation Requirements 1. Letter: Use the official template here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e3yKLIwWmLYHl7kA23inThVRoMIKvv4_a5QQQlH…> . 2. Sign: Must be signed by the team leader (handwritten or digital). 3. Send: Attach the file (JPG, PNG, or PDF) to your confirmation email. Important Note: Please only submit this letter if your team is certain of its ability to attend. If you have concerns regarding funding or your team’s capabilities, we recommend declining the slot early to move to the Invitation Declined Waitlist. Withdrawing after submitting a Letter of Commitment may negatively impact your team’s future applications, with penalties increasing as the competition date approaches. Remember that by taking up a slot, you might stop other teams from participating. Doing so and not showing up for preventable reasons is a major offense to the SSL community. Kind regards, SSL OC/TC/EC

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Deadline for Pre-Application Approaching - RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 08 Jan '26

08 Jan '26

Deadline for Pre-application Approaching - January 10th Summary: Deadline for pre-Application is on January 10th. For pre-application the team should submit the team name, home page, team leader name and email and inform in which Division and with how many robots the team intent to participate in Incheon. RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition June 30th - July 6th, 2026, Incheon, South Korea ======================================= The RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Incheon, South Korea. RoboCup is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. More information can be found on the official website: https://www.robocup.org/ The Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) was formed through the unification of the Humanoid League (HL) and Standard Platform League (SPL) and will take place for the first time at the RoboCup 2026. HSL hosts games and challenges where teams of humanoid robots play soccer autonomously. The game of soccer serves as an environment for research, development, and education in all areas of autonomous humanoid robots, including hardware development, vision, bipedal locomotion, learning, behavior control, and team coordination. The focus is thereby on human-like abilities of the robots. The Humanoid Soccer League will host competitions in the following divisions, depending on the height and weight of the robot players: * Small Robot Division: height < 110 cm, weight < 15 kg * Middle Robot Division: height < 125 cm; weight < 25 kg * Large Robot Division: height < 190 cm; weight < 80 kg Teams in each division will have the choice to play in two team configurations: 1. Foundation - with a smaller number of players; 2. Advanced - with a larger number of players. In a game, if one team chooses to play in a Foundation configuration, then both teams must play in this configuration. The maximum number of players in a game for each configuration is shown in the table below: * Small — Foundation: max 4 | Advanced: max 7 * Middle — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 * Large — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 Teams are welcome to apply even if they are unable to provide a full team of robots (the maximum number of robot players). Teams are encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. For more details on divisions, please refer to the Humanoid Soccer League rules at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. 1. Robots ======================================= Teams may apply for participation with both commercially available and with humanoid robot platforms constructed by the teams. A selection of robots is available for purchase through the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program at a special RoboCup offer: https://robotprogram.robocup.org/ As part of the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program, there will be a pool of humanoid robot models K1 and T1 provided by the company Booster for RoboCup 2026. Teams will be able to borrow the robots from the pool and use them in their games. 2. Application Process and Timeline ======================================= 2.1. Important Dates --------------------------------------- * Submission system open: January 1st, 2026 * Pre-application deadline: January 10th, 2026 * Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 * Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 * Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 2.2. Online Submission --------------------------------------- All application materials must be submitted online at: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/login Teams may apply for participation in one or several divisions. Teams applying for participation in several divisions must submit individual application materials for each division. Please be informed that the submission system is being updated. To submit an application, it is necessary to create new accounts on the system. Accounts of the teams that used the system last year should be available and can be used this year. 2.3. Review Process --------------------------------------- Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other randomly assigned teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will be used to decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other teams' 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 team's own qualification status. 3. Application Material (Robot/Team information to submit) ======================================= For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 3.1. Pre-application / Team-Information --------------------------------------- Team name URL of the team's home page Name of team leader or team contact person E-mail address of the team leader or contact person Competition Division: Small, Middle, Large – with robot numbers 3.2. Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their current or previous physical robot demonstrating the robot's autonomous soccer-playing skills. The recommended skills needed for the 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 * Passing the ball from one player to another * Avoiding other robots autonomously * Ability to get up autonomously after a fall 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 welcome. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot's behavior without wires attached. We understand that teams transitioning to new robot platforms from the former SPL and HL leagues may not yet have their physical robots, nor soccer-ready software/hardware to demonstrate by the qualification deadlines. Teams may alternatively demonstrate in their video their software/hardware capabilities from previous years on other robot platforms, and/or capabilities in simulation. We encourage teams, if possible, to include a demonstration of their current capabilities on their intended platform. * The maximum duration of the video must not exceed ** 5 minutes **. * The qualification video must be supplied as a link (e.g., uploaded on the team’s website or on some video server like YouTube). The qualifying team is responsible for ensuring that the video is accessible and viewable with modern browsers. Note, if YouTube is used, make sure the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially concerning 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. 3.3. Team Description Paper --------------------------------------- A team description paper must be submitted. For teams that have previously participated in the Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the team description paper must include: * Lessons learned from participation in previous RoboCup competitions. * Highlight major challenges 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 2026 competition. * Describe the implementation status of the planned changes at the time of submitting the application. * Explain the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the Humanoid Soccer League, (2) the team’s university/community. * Demonstrate own contribution to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League or humanoid robotics research in general: Describe in detail the “research publishable” significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2026. This can, for instance, include software or hardware releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure, or data sets. * Any other information that supports your application. For teams that have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the Team Description Paper must outline the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research focus. The submission should show clear contributions and advancements intended to be used during the competition. The team description papers are intended 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 material from previous TDPs is used, it must be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The team description paper is limited to ** 4 pages **, excluding references, and must be submitted in PDF format. The team description paper must follow the LNCS format, which can be downloaded from: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do not follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 3.4. Software Description --------------------------------------- During the application process, a form will be provided to submit brief details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for participation in the 2026 competition. The form will include brief questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Behavior * Team Communication Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current and anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2026 competition. If software from other teams, third-party software libraries, or "off-the-shelf soccer-ready" libraries/algorithms are used, teams must reference this use. References should include the team, competition, and year when code is used from another team, or reference publicly available documentation for software libraries. Teams should describe how they have adapted the use of this software within their own codebase. 3.5. Hardware Specification --------------------------------------- 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 (can be on a separate page) (3D model if the physical one is not available yet) * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Actuator model name and Wattage * 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) * Materials (e.g., Torso aluminium, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g., CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs (Jerseys if already available) Teams that are using pre-approved, unmodified HSL standard platforms only need to provide information directly available from the manufacturer's documentation to confirm they are using an unmodified standard platform. Teams do not need to provide details where information is not available via manufacturer-provided documentation, such as due to commercial confidence. 3.6. Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee, including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League competition; * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as a referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG, or PDF file. A template for this letter can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNILlggOj5j_cHhof1b6NICPyfgVrp-M/edit?u… If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline, but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). 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. Teams must guarantee to have at least one member per division they participate in, acting as a referee, available independently. Note that teams may be scheduled to play a game and referee a different game at the same time. 4. Organizational Information ======================================= 4.1. Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here in the git: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. The current version is under development and subject to change. We expect the final version of the 2026 rules to be published in spring 2026. For more information about the Humanoid Soccer League and connections with other teams, please refer to the RoboCup Official Discord: https://discord.gg/fjrepNWk. 4.2. Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other people's words, code, and ideas, is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. For a more detailed description, see the point "Publishing Ethics" at: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… The teams and team members who plagiarize other people's 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. 4.3. Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams, the submitted materials of the qualified teams will be made publicly available on the Humanoid Soccer League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid Soccer League. Therefore, teams should ensure their qualification materials contain no commercial-in-confidence information or other content that would restrict publication. 4.4. Visa Process --------------------------------------- South Korea offers visa-free entry for many countries for short tourism/business stays (under 90 days), but most need the K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before arrival. Please verify your visa requirements at the South Korea Visa Portal: https://www.visa.go.kr/main/openMain.do The letters of invitation are issued by the RoboCup federation, not the TC, and they are part of the official registration process. We look forward to seeing you all at the RoboCup 2026! With best regards, Technical Committee of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League 2026 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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RoboCup 2026 Small Size League Call for Participation
by Emy Ganzeboom 21 Dec '25

21 Dec '25

Dear RoboCup community, The Small Size League committee is glad to invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2026! Below you can find important information about the competition and qualification. Location and dates RoboCup Incheon, South-Korea, 2026 Small Size League June 30 - July 6, 2026 Website: TBA About RoboCup RoboCup is an international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of autonomous robots. When established in 1997, the original mission was to field a team of robots capable of winning against the human soccer World Cup champions by 2050. About the Small Size League The RoboCup Small Size League is a part of the RoboCup Research Federation focused on multi-agent coordination and control. Teams currently compete in 11 vs. 11 soccer matches (6 vs. 6 in Div. B). The robots must fit within an 18 cm diameter circle and must be no higher than 15 cm. The robots play soccer with an orange golf ball on a green carpeted field that is 12 m long by 9 m wide (9 m long by 6 m wide for Div. B.). About the qualification To qualify for the competition, each team must submit a Team Description Paper and a video by January 27, 2026. More information on the qualification requirements and processes are located on the website <https://ssl.robocup.org/robocups/robocup-2026/robocup-2026-qualification/>. More information on slot allocation will follow soon. Please direct all inquiries to the Small Size League Organizing Committee: rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org Thank you!

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RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition - 1st Call for Participation
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 19 Dec '25

19 Dec '25

1st Call for Participation RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition June 30th - July 6th, 2026, Incheon, South Korea ======================================= The RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Incheon, South Korea. RoboCup is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. More information can be found on the official website: https://www.robocup.org/ The Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) was formed through the unification of the Humanoid League (HL) and Standard Platform League (SPL) and will take place for the first time at the RoboCup 2026. HSL hosts games and challenges where teams of humanoid robots play soccer autonomously. The game of soccer serves as an environment for research, development, and education in all areas of autonomous humanoid robots, including hardware development, vision, bipedal locomotion, learning, behavior control, and team coordination. The focus is thereby on human-like abilities of the robots. The Humanoid Soccer League will host competitions in the following divisions, depending on the height and weight of the robot players: * Small Robot Division: height < 110 cm, weight < 15 kg * Middle Robot Division: height < 125 cm; weight < 25 kg * Large Robot Division: height < 190 cm; weight < 80 kg Teams in each division will have the choice to play in two team configurations: 1. Foundation - with a smaller number of players; 2. Advanced - with a larger number of players. In a game, if one team chooses to play in a Foundation configuration, then both teams must play in this configuration. The maximum number of players in a game for each configuration is shown in the table below: * Small — Foundation: max 4 | Advanced: max 7 * Middle — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 * Large — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 Teams are welcome to apply even if they are unable to provide a full team of robots (the maximum number of robot players). Teams are encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. For more details on divisions, please refer to the Humanoid Soccer League rules at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. 1. Robots ======================================= Teams may apply for participation with both commercially available and with humanoid robot platforms constructed by the teams. A selection of robots is available for purchase through the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program at a special RoboCup offer: https://robotprogram.robocup.org/ As part of the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program, there will be a pool of humanoid robot models K1 and T1 provided by the company Booster for RoboCup 2026. Teams will be able to borrow the robots from the pool and use them in their games. 2. Application Process and Timeline ======================================= 2.1. Important Dates --------------------------------------- * Submission system open: January 1st, 2026 * Pre-application deadline: January 10th, 2026 * Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 * Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 * Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 2.2. Online Submission --------------------------------------- All application materials must be submitted online at: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/login Teams may apply for participation in one or several divisions. Teams applying for participation in several divisions must submit individual application materials for each division. Please be informed that the submission system is being updated. To submit an application, it is necessary to create new accounts on the system. Accounts of the teams that used the system last year should be available and can be used this year. 2.3. Review Process --------------------------------------- Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other randomly assigned teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will be used to decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other teams' 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 team's own qualification status. 3. Application Material (Robot/Team information to submit) ======================================= For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 3.1. Pre-application / Team-Information --------------------------------------- Team name URL of the team's home page Name of team leader or team contact person E-mail address of the team leader or contact person Competition Division: Small, Middle, Large – with robot numbers 3.2. Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their current or previous physical robot demonstrating the robot's autonomous soccer-playing skills. The recommended skills needed for the 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 * Passing the ball from one player to another * Avoiding other robots autonomously * Ability to get up autonomously after a fall 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 welcome. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot's behavior without wires attached. We understand that teams transitioning to new robot platforms from the former SPL and HL leagues may not yet have their physical robots, nor soccer-ready software/hardware to demonstrate by the qualification deadlines. Teams may alternatively demonstrate in their video their software/hardware capabilities from previous years on other robot platforms, and/or capabilities in simulation. We encourage teams, if possible, to include a demonstration of their current capabilities on their intended platform. * The maximum duration of the video must not exceed ** 5 minutes **. * The qualification video must be supplied as a link (e.g., uploaded on the team’s website or on some video server like YouTube). The qualifying team is responsible for ensuring that the video is accessible and viewable with modern browsers. Note, if YouTube is used, make sure the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially concerning 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. 3.3. Team Description Paper --------------------------------------- A team description paper must be submitted. For teams that have previously participated in the Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the team description paper must include: * Lessons learned from participation in previous RoboCup competitions. * Highlight major challenges 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 2026 competition. * Describe the implementation status of the planned changes at the time of submitting the application. * Explain the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the Humanoid Soccer League, (2) the team’s university/community. * Demonstrate own contribution to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League or humanoid robotics research in general: Describe in detail the “research publishable” significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2026. This can, for instance, include software or hardware releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure, or data sets. * Any other information that supports your application. For teams that have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the Team Description Paper must outline the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research focus. The submission should show clear contributions and advancements intended to be used during the competition. The team description papers are intended 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 material from previous TDPs is used, it must be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The team description paper is limited to ** 4 pages **, excluding references, and must be submitted in PDF format. The team description paper must follow the LNCS format, which can be downloaded from: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do not follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 3.4. Software Description --------------------------------------- During the application process, a form will be provided to submit brief details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for participation in the 2026 competition. The form will include brief questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Behavior * Team Communication Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current and anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2026 competition. If software from other teams, third-party software libraries, or "off-the-shelf soccer-ready" libraries/algorithms are used, teams must reference this use. References should include the team, competition, and year when code is used from another team, or reference publicly available documentation for software libraries. Teams should describe how they have adapted the use of this software within their own codebase. 3.5. Hardware Specification --------------------------------------- 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 (can be on a separate page) (3D model if the physical one is not available yet) * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Actuator model name and Wattage * 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) * Materials (e.g., Torso aluminium, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g., CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs (Jerseys if already available) Teams that are using pre-approved, unmodified HSL standard platforms only need to provide information directly available from the manufacturer's documentation to confirm they are using an unmodified standard platform. Teams do not need to provide details where information is not available via manufacturer-provided documentation, such as due to commercial confidence. 3.6. Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee, including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League competition; * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as a referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG, or PDF file. A template for this letter can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNILlggOj5j_cHhof1b6NICPyfgVrp-M/edit?u… If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline, but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). 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. Teams must guarantee to have at least one member per division they participate in, acting as a referee, available independently. Note that teams may be scheduled to play a game and referee a different game at the same time. 4. Organizational Information ======================================= 4.1. Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here in the git: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. The current version is under development and subject to change. We expect the final version of the 2026 rules to be published in spring 2026. For more information about the Humanoid Soccer League and connections with other teams, please refer to the RoboCup Official Discord: https://discord.gg/fjrepNWk. 4.2. Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other people's words, code, and ideas, is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. For a more detailed description, see the point "Publishing Ethics" at: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… The teams and team members who plagiarize other people's 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. 4.3. Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams, the submitted materials of the qualified teams will be made publicly available on the Humanoid Soccer League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid Soccer League. Therefore, teams should ensure their qualification materials contain no commercial-in-confidence information or other content that would restrict publication. 4.4. Visa Process --------------------------------------- South Korea offers visa-free entry for many countries for short tourism/business stays (under 90 days), but most need the K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before arrival. Please verify your visa requirements at the South Korea Visa Portal: https://www.visa.go.kr/main/openMain.do The letters of invitation are issued by the RoboCup federation, not the TC, and they are part of the official registration process. We look forward to seeing you all at the RoboCup 2026! With best regards, Technical Committee of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League 2026 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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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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