Robots, kits-based

RoboCupJunior OnStage
#1

We recently acquired several old Robotis Mini humanoid kits (sometimes also called Darwin Mini).
Last week our OnStage team used two such robots during a local qualifying competition.

Concerns:

  1. The basic humanoid robots are assembled from kits with suggested instructions.
  2. The planned OnStage performance will be heavy on Python programming to control the many servos used to mimic human movement.
  3. The current theme is based on Medical activities while using vision and Voice recognition, as well as various sensors to enhance performance.

Question:

  1. Is the use of such robots acceptable for RoboCupJunior OnStage, considering that the accent will be on programming? After all, most robots use similar basic equipment, while the code is what distinguishes one performance from another.

Thank you for your assistance.
Gio

#2

Hi Gio,

It is nice to hear from you!

Regarding the robot construction, it is said in the rulebook:
3.5. Robots

Robots must perform autonomously.

Laptops, notebooks, mobile phones, tablets, Raspberry Pi, and other similar devices can be used as robotic controllers.

Teams should construct their own robot rather than using the instructions that come with a commercial kit. Teams are encouraged to design their robot appearance by themselves. If a team wants to use a famous character as their robot, the team should pay attention to the copyright of the character.

We have seen kit robots at the competitions in the past. Usually, we do not disqualify the team at the competition. However, using the rubrics, the team will not earn points for the robot construction. So, we suggest the team to study the rubrics. Can the team make some modification to the robot construction before the international competition? (assuming we will see them in Eindhoven :slight_smile: ).

Cheers Amy

#3

Hi Amy,
We understand the OnStage rule 3.5. However, we reviewed the related ScoreSheets to determine how many points could be lost by using kit-based robot construction and found nothing specific.
Many Major League teams use kit-based robots that distinguish themselves through coding skills and sensor precision.
Yes, our locally qualified team would like to participate in RoboCup2024, but if our kit-based robots will ONLY be TOLERATED, that is, ‘not disqualified’, then let us know now before we enter the registration phase.
Thank you for your understanding and clarifications.
Cheers,
Gio

#4

Hi Gio,

Sorry for delay in responding. I did consulted with the committee regarding the use of kit robots. We do not disqualify teams by using kit robots with their original construction/instructions. However, as I mentioned, they do not gain points for robot construction related evaluations as you can find in the rubrics.

Hope it helps.

Cheers Amy