A proposal for a new small size robot
league (New SSL)
(Ver.2.0)
June 18, 2008
Small
size robot league Volunteers
Naruse, Murakami, Masutani,
Nagasaka, Fujii, Nakagawa,
Mitsunaga, Naito
An outline of the proposal
|
1.
New SSL league: Teams with small size humanoid robots up to 5
compete with each other under the global vision environment, instead of the
conventional wheeled small size robots. The biggest difference from the other
leagues is to use the global vision system. The technical growth of the
current small size league suggests the necessity of change from wheeled
robots to humanoid robots. 2.
The purpose of the new SSL is twofold: to study and develop the
humanoid robot system using the global vision system, and to promote the AI
research such as cooperative play among humanoid robots under the global
vision system environment. We believe the global vision system gives us the
shortest way to reach the 2050 goal. 3.
Features from research view point: 3.1 Vision: From two dimensional
recognition toward three dimensional recognition of the space, and from using
markers towards not using markers: To solve these issues, 1) the real time restoration
of the three dimensional information from two dimensional images and the real
time correspondence problem should extensively have studied, 2) the vision system
which recognizes three dimensional objects in real time is required, 3) three
dimensional behavior recognition of the robot is also an important task. 3.2 Humanoid skills: Since the global
vision system makes it easy to realize the intelligent environment than the
local vision system, AI studies for strategies, tactics and skills will be accelerated.
In the studies, the ball-handling using the robot hands and head as well as
the one using robot feet are included, i.e. adding to the conventional kick,
a throw-in and header will be developed. 3.3 Intelligent Environment:
The study to make the competition space be intelligent is necessary. 4.
Features from competition view point: 4.1 Robots: Small size
humanoid robots are used. Two cases of the robots are 1) team’s original
robots that conform to the technical standards and 2) off-the-shelf robots which
the committee allowed to use (One-make robot or standard robot is encouraged
in this context.). 4.2 Advanced global vision
system: A distributed street-lamps viewing system is introduced instead of the
conventional viewing system, since the over-field cameras are not good enough
for the three dimensional recognition. Typically, 4 cameras or more are set
around the field like street-lamps. For the beginning years, conventional
viewing system is allowed. 4.3 Shared vision system: The
shared vision system (including cameras) is provided by the committee, which
gives each team the positions and orientations of the robots and the ball on
the field. Team’s vision system (including cameras) is also allowed to use. 5. Expected effects of the
New SSL: 5.1 To promote the R & D
of the followings: - mechanism and/or motion control of the
humanoid robots, - cooperative control among humanoid
robots, - three dimensional recognition/understanding
of humanoid robots based on the image processing, - intelligent environment (or
intelligent robotic space) 5.2 To provide the empirical
environment for the study of the intelligent environment, 5.3 To open up a new way for newcomers
to join in. |
I. Current
situation and issues
1. Technical
maturity of small size robot league
(1)
As for the soccer competition by the combination of wheel type
robots and the conventional viewing system, completion is almost reached, and a
new problem setting is needed for a future leap of research and development.
(2)
It becomes more and more difficult for the newcomers to
participate in the competition since the technical level advances constantly
and the developing cost increases.
(3)
On account of the substantial expansion of the field area, which
results in the scale-up of the truss construction, the management cost for the
competition increases.
2. Progress
of the off-the-shelf humanoid robots
(1)
Recently, many small humanoid robots such as for hobby use are
available in the market. Their prices decrease while their performance
improves.
(2)
These robots have not the local vision system, but they move in a
very flexible way. As a result, it becomes possible, by using these robots, to
form the small humanoid robot teams that perform kicking by leg, throw-in by
two arms, heading or saving actions by the goal keeper, which are quite similar
to human playing.
3. Request
toward the intelligent robotic space
For the cohabitation between
human beings and robots, our society requests to control the robots in a high
level and sophisticated way by optimizing the information through the visual
sensor, the auditory sensor and RF tag incorporated in the environmental side.
II. Execution
content
1.
Basic policy
(1)
A soccer play is organized among the teams of the small humanoid
robots, replacing the wheel type robots.
(2)
Among the off-the-shelf robot hardware, the organizer shows some
robot hardware which comply with technical standards to the participants.
(3)
Remodeled and/or own-made robot teams are allowed to participate in
the competition.
(4)
Participants’ intention is esteemed about the one-make competition
by one type of hardware. If many participants hope the one-make competition, it
will be allowed to take place.
(5) The
distributed street-lamps viewing system with some cameras set around the field
will be newly adopted. However, the conventional viewing system above the field
is also used for the first few years.
(6) It is requested
to establish as soon as possible the technology which enables to recognize the
individual robots without team markers.
(7) The technical report of the software developed
by the participant will be principally open to the other participants of the New
SSL.
(8) The New SSL
starts as a sub-league of the small size robot league. The current competition
field is also used for the new SSL. For the beginning years, the half of the
current field is used for the new SSL.
(9) Cooperation with the
humanoid and 4-legged (or standard platform) leagues are actively promoted.
2. Robot
Hardware
(1)
Shape: Humanoid robot with body, head, 2 arms and 2 legs.
(2)
Units of one team: not more than 5 units.
(3)
Height: Below 40 cm.
(4)
Weight: Below 3.0 kg.
(5)
Team marker: Sphere on the head of the robot. It will be removed
in the future.
(6)
Standard Robot:
a)
The technical committee of the SSL chooses several kinds of robot hardware
in the market place, and recommends them to the participants as standard robots.
( ex : KONDO KAGAKU Co., KHR-2HV @
89,985 yen)
b) Own-made and remodeled
robots can participate in the competition.
c) Participants’ intention is
esteemed about the one-make competition with one type of hardware. If many
participants hope the one-make competition, it will be allowed to take place.
(7) Local
vision system is allowed to mount.
3. Field
(1) Size: 4200mm x 3050mm, (A half field of the 2008
SSL field)
(2) Sufficient distance between lines and side walls.
(1) Number of Cameras: 4 units
(2) Position of Cameras: 1.5 m from ground around the field
(3) Standard Cameras: Video Cameras for High Vision.
(4) Shared Vision System:
a) The shared
vision system (including cameras) is provided by the committee, which gives the
positions and orientations of the robots and the ball on the field to each
team.
b) A team’s vision system
(including cameras) is allowed to use.
5. Ball
The orange tennis ball made of sponge
used for kids’ tennis is adopted.
6. Radio communication
Robots can communicate with computers
outside of the field.
7. Instruction from the judge
(1) Serial
Communication Equipment (RS232C) or wired LAN is used to send the instruction
of the referee to the computers of both teams.
(2) In the
future, robots are directed by referee’s voice.
8. Periods of Play
Two 10 minutes periods with 10 minutes
half time interval is adopted.
III. Expected effects
1. Realistic
approach toward the year 2050
(1) As the
current technology level is quite enough to start the basic level of soccer
competition using the humanoid robots, the new SSL will make it possible to
improve the combination of various R&D technologies together, and to
achieve a standard that can compete with human teams by 2050.
(2) Concretely
speaking, the features that the humanoid robots have the shape of human beings
enable to foster the research of action skills and behaviours such as a kick,
header, throw-in and save.
(3) This
approach also contributes, towards the game with human team, to advance the
research to avoid the dangerous play, such as collision, and analyze the
strategies and tactics studied in the simulation league.
2. Academic
contribution
2.1 Mechanism and/or motion control of the humanoid
robots
The global
vision system brings a less-power-consuming light robot. It enables the high
speed movement and various motion skills.
2.2 Cooperative control among humanoid robots
The local
vision system limits the view and resolution, and it makes hard to recognize
the global objects and to estimate the three dimensional motion. The global
vision system promotes the study of the cooperative control, strategies and
tactics for the humanoid robots.
2.3 Vision
(1)Real time three
dimensional vision technology will be extensively developed.
(2)For the time
being, the technology to recognize the individual robots without team markers
will be developed.
2.4 Intelligent environment
(1)The distributed
street-lamps viewing system will contribute to the development of the inevitable
technology for the cohabitation between human teams and robot teams.
(2) In the future,
the research that uses not only visual sensor but also aural sensor which will enable
to process the voice of referee by the natural language analysis will be able
to be studied.
(3)In addition,
the distributed street-lamps viewing system can be used in the outdoor field as
the automatic referee system.
3. Field cost reduction
The current expensive
truss structure becomes unnecessary by using the distributed street-lamps viewing
system. It brings the New SSL the savings of expenses and space.
4. Expanding the
foot of robocuppers
To
select the standard robot hardware and to provide the shared vision system will
motivate new teams to enter the New SSL easily.
It will also contribute to expand the foot
of RoboCup.