Hi,
As every year during the weeks before the RoboCup the number of mails increases and we just have a new one with more info for you:
Schedule
Using the random numbers 8902 and 5478, as by https://www.random.org/integers/?num=2&min=1&max=10000&col=5&..., we got the following groups for the Division B tournament:
==== Grouping ==== Group A:
- The-A-Team (USA) - ITAndroids (Brazil) - RoboFEI (BrazilB) - The-Bots (Canada) Group B:
- RoboJackets (USA) - DelftMercurians (Netherlands) - Sysmic (Chile) - WarthogRobotics (Brazil)
Based on that seeding, we have already updated the [official schedule](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uNMfJM_ZOfLf-vYniD9r53NEZuopjtFNz3WG...) to represent the two groups and also added the Div A match groupings..
Referee Quiz
To be allowed to fill in one of the impartial roles (assistant / main Referee, Game Controller Operator, Vision expert) during the official matches, you need to complete this year's referee quiz before the first competition day: https://forms.gle/J89PC24xrYohL8Xe9 Since all teams will need to take turns in filling in the impartial roles, if not at least two members of your team completed the quiz, your team can be excluded from the competition.
Communication
For the textbased communication during the RoboCup we will be using the [ssl mailing list](https://lists.robocup.org/mm/lists/robocup-small.lists.robocup.org/), as well as the [SSL discord](https://discord.gg/t724m8c) server. Especially for fast paced announcements from us, but also for communicating with the other teams the discord server is quite crucial. Therefore in case from your team not multiple, or ideally all, members joined both communication lines yet, please consider to do so. This helps us, as well as you, to be sure that you get critical information as soon as possible and in case that one team member might not read it, the others can forward the relevant information.
In addition there is also an official Discord Server for the whole RoboCup, that is not just for this year's tournament, but also for other events, general exchanges during the year and more. In case you would like to join it, feel free to use this link: https://discord.gg/q4AfnY7fx6 Its goal is not to be a replacement of the SSL Discord Server but more an addition to communicate with members from other leagues and for RoboCup wide information.
Colored robot hulls
As you might have seen the Black and White Hulls rule got updated and is now called [Color of Robots](https://robocup-ssl.github.io/ssl-rules/sslrules.html#_color_of_robots). With this update the requirements about the size of the area changing the color got updated to accommodate smaller robots and is also a bit more relaxed with the usage of colors for differentiation. If you already implemented the Black and White Hull rule you should be fine and also compliant with it after its update. This year we will be very lenient, when validating the robots for tournament suitability, but have a look at them nonetheless, as the compliance with the rule will be part of the robot approval process from the next year on.
What to bring
Network: This year you will be provided with ONE ethernet plug for your team at the field, as well as ONE at your team table. Since that won’t be enough connection points for your whole team, please bring your own routers/switches. This is especially important, as personal wifis should be banned at the venue and it is yet not known to us whether there will be a public wifi.
Power: Brazil uses the type N and C power plugs and outlets. Although the usual voltage used in Salvador is 127V / 60Hz, the outlets in the venue will supply 220 V / 60 Hz. Please check if your equipment supports both standards, especially the later one. In case you need more info, the local organizers have compiled all needed info on their homepage under the section [power and sockets](https://2025.robocup.org/practical-information/).
General information: As some of our teams and adjacent leagues use the 2.4 GHz frequency range to control the robots, please avoid using wireless peripherals, like bluetooth headphones, mice, etc. in the same frequency range and therefore prefer to bring wired solutions. In addition to your robots you also need a machine for your central software. Since you may need to move your equipment from the competition to the practice field, a powerful laptop instead of a full size TowerPC is usually more convenient. As we need all teams to use the same color paper on top of their robots for a good calibrated vision setup, you will need to change the color paper at the venue. While we will provide you with the color paper you should bring the equipment you need to fabricate the round blobs as well as to change them inside your hull.
If you have any open questions, feel free to reach out to the OC/TC,
See you in Salvador!
David, on behalf of the SSL committee