Dear Committee,
I am part of a team that will be competing in the RoboCup Junior World Championships in the Rescue Line category.
Earlier this year, to detect victims and identify the silver line, we decided to retrain a YOLO model using images we collected ourselves, encouraged by the post “2025 RCJ Rescue Rule Changes” (2025 RCJ Rescue Rule Changes), which allowed the use of models such as YOLO.
We tested various YOLO models (YOLOv8s, YOLOv8n, YOLOv11s, YOLOv11n) and ultimately chose to use YOLOv8s. Although we understand how the model works, we haven’t modified it. We have summarised this entire process in our TDP, which we submitted on June 28.
However, after the above clarification (published on June 29), we are no longer certain whether our solution complies with the rules. Given the limited time before the competition — approximately fifteen days — we are unable to modify our strategy (e.g. replace YOLO with other algorithms) and remain competitive.
We would therefore like to ask: what options do we have to comply with this rule clarification?
Sincerely,
Tobia Petrolini