Mikhail has recently come back from Robocup 2022 in Bangkok, where he and other members of the Australian team rUNSWift has been competing for the world robotics soccer cup. Mikhail will take us behind the scenes and talk about how the robots work and what approach allowed rUNSWift to take another trophy home this time going from the 6th in 2021 to the 3rd place in 2022.

1. 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕
🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕
🍕🍕🍕
AI in Robotics Sydney

2. Robots playing soccer.
AI in Robotics Sydney
⚠ This material includes shameless self-promotion

3. Robots playing soccer.
Autonomously.
AI in Robotics Sydney
⚠ This material includes shameless self-promotion

4. Robocup 2022

5. 󰎉
RoboCup team
needs
YOU!

6. SOUP DU JOUR
● What is RoboCup
● Major League
● How do robots work
● Highlights of the RoboCup 2022
● Why you should join

7. RoboCup

8. RoboCup
Goal

9. RoboCup
Goal
Win against humans in 2050

10. RoboCup
Goal
Create more robotics engineers

11. 1999
—
2007

12. 1999
—
2007

13. 2008
—
202X

15. RoboCup today
Soccer Rescue
@Home
@Work
Logistics

16. RoboCup today
Soccer
SP, SS, MS, S2D,
S3D, H, J
Rescue
RR, RS, RMRC, J
@Home
OP, DSP, SSP
@Work
Logistics

17. RoboCup today
Soccer
SP, SS, MS, S2D,
S3D, H, J
Rescue
RR, RS, RMRC, J
@Home
OP, DSP, SSP
@Work
Logistics
We are here

18. Want to train
robots to play
soccer?
We can’t wait to
meet YOU!

19. RoboCup
Standard
Platform

20. STANDARD PLATFORM KEY FEATURES
● Standard hardware (NAO v6)
● Custom software
● 5 vs 5 (soon 7 vs 7)
● Human referees
● Game gets harder every year

21. Walking fast — being first to the ball
Kicking the ball hard
Winning the tussles
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

23. S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES
Is that the ball?
Did I hear a whistle or it’s just a wind?
Where is everyone?
Is this a sideline or a goal line?
Can I kick the ball from here?
Where should I aim?
What does the referee show?
The grass was greener back home…

25. Do it all and keep enough battery
for the second half.
Keep your joints cool and working.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

26. Win the crowd!
Demoralise the opponent!
No, seriously..
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

27. Game strategy
Team work, collaboration
Clever tactics and combos
Be ready for unexpected
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

28. No Less falling over!
Quick get-ups
Fast kicks
Side-stepping the opponent
Better dribbling
Fool the goalie
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

29. Things happen.
How do we use the unexpected
circumstances to our advantage?
S.P.E.C.I.A.L CHALLENGES

31. rUNSWift
platform

32. Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Game information

33. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Game information

34. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Game information

35. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Game information

36. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information

37. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information

38. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic

39. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)

40. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

41. Want to learn
ML?
Join us
and build better
vision and walk

42. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

43. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

44. ENABLING
HUMANKIND’S
DEVELOPMENT
IN SPACE
AND BACK HOME

46. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

47. ANT61 is proud
to sponsor
rUNSWift
Your company
should too.

48. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

49. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …

50. Vision system
Sensors
2 Cameras, Ultrasound, IMU, Mic, Joints, Feet
Pose estimation
Field features Ball detection Robot detection
Blackboard
Localisation
Game information
Team information High-level logic
Skills
(behaviour tree)
Outputs
Joints, speaker, LEDs, …
Tools and
instruments

51. Web developers!
Join us
and build
better tools
for our robots!

52. RoboCup 2022

53. RoboCup 2022
3 key ingredients
that got us
from 6th to 3rd place

54. #1 Ingredient
If you have no idea
where you are
do something
random!

59. 33%
33%
34%

61. #2 Ingredient
Make sure robots
can actually
see something

62. Competition

63. Lab

64. Lab

65. What robot sees

66. Calibration

67. #3 Ingredient
…

68. #3 Ingredient
Team work!

69. 2022 Results
1. 🥇B-Human 󰎲
2. 🥈HTWK Robots 󰎲
3. 🥉rUNSWift 󰎉
4. Nao Devils 󰎲
5. HULKs 󰎲
6. UT Austin Villa 󰑔
7. Bembelbots 󰎲
8. NomadZ 󰎤
9. SABANA Herons 󰎪
10. Dutch Nao Team 󰐗
11. SPQR Team 󰏢
12. UPennalizers 󰑔
13. Naova 󰎟

70. 2022 Results
1. 🥇B-Human 󰎲
2. 🥈HTWK Robots 󰎲
3. 🥉rUNSWift 󰎉
4. Nao Devils 󰎲
5. HULKs 󰎲
6. UT Austin Villa 󰑔
7. Bembelbots 󰎲
8. NomadZ 󰎤
9. SABANA Herons 󰎪
10. Dutch Nao Team 󰐗
11. SPQR Team 󰏢
12. UPennalizers 󰑔
13. Naova 󰎟
4 out of 5
Top teams
are from
Germany 󰎲

71. We need more
Australian teams!
But let’s start by
winning the
championship.

72. Average SPL
team size
12
+ remote support group of ~10

73. rUNSWift 2022
team size
5
+ remote support group of 3

74. Python, C++, Rust, ML,
RL, TypeScript, FIFA,
operations, marketing,
fundraising, sales

78. JOIN US
for
RoboCup 2023
and beyond

79. mikhail@ant61.com