Bordeaux robotics in the running for Robocup 2020

For the second time, the Robocup was won by a Bordeaux team. This summer, the competition took place in Nagoya, Japan. It is scheduled for Montreal in 2018 and Sydney in 2019. For 2020, the New Aquitaine region aims to host this world cup of robot football whose somewhat crazy challenge is that robots beat human football players by 2050. The region’s bid is expected in April 2018. The opportunity to zoom in on the situation.

Show of strength for the Bordeaux team

In 21 years, the Robocup has established itself as the most prestigious robotics competition in the world. Today, the Robocup is no less than 45 participating countries, 450 teams, 3,500 participants and more than 40,000 visitors.

After their victory in Leipzig, Germany in 2016, the Rhoban team once again made an impression by winning not only the final KidSize category match against the Chinese Zju-Dancers (4-0) and the “Best Humanoid Award” for the most complete robot in all categories.

Composed of students and professor-researchers from The LaBRI (Bordeaux Computer Research Laboratory of the University of Bordeaux), Bordeaux INP, and the IUT in Bordeaux, the Rhoban team participated for only the sixth time. However, it is almost a faultless for the Bordeaux team that will have scored 41 goals against 2 conceded, both mistakes since it is the Rhoban robots who scored against their side. A small technical problem that the team will probably try to correct by 2018.

A showcase for prestige know-how

According to the initial feedback, the Bordeaux and the region’s bid would receive a positive response and fall at the right time since almost every continent would have welcomed the Robocup, allowing Europe to become a serious possibility again. By organising the Robocup 2020, Bordeaux would thus highlight the region’s robotics sector and enhance a pole of excellence that has remained relatively discreet, although distinguished at the global level.

In addition to this event, the region will also be represented at the robotic village at the European Education Fair held in Paris from 17 to 19 November. Beyond the field of competition and sport, research and technological advances in rescue during emergencies, domestic assistance and industrial logistics will be highlighted.

The Bordeaux Robocup would be an opportunity for New Aquitaine to highlight the hundred companies that mesh the technological field and the Aquitaine Robotics cluster for example, especially with regard to cabotic (or collaborative robotics) aimed at improving the competitiveness of companies by relieving humans of certain tasks that can be mechanized and automated.

To support such initiatives, institutional and traditional actors have been keen to support the movement. The Rhoban team will therefore have obtained financial assistance from IdEx Bordeaux (the University of Bordeaux’s initiative of excellence).

Motivating economic benefits

More than an opportunity concerning the image of the region in terms of technology (already recognized in terms of entrepreneurial dynamism, tourist destination and lifestyle), the Robocup would represent an economic impact between 7 and 15 million euros but would also be a vector of business at the regional and national level.

To ensure the allocation of the Robocup 2020, France and its scientific talents must first be able to involve teams in different leagues and organize similar competitions.

To go further than this event, the rectorate has agreed that an appeal to the colleges and high schools be launched for the Junior robocup.

 

To know the final choice of the host city of the 2020 edition, we will have to wait for the Robocup 2018 in Montreal!

Candice Cibois – Bordeaux Business

Sources:

Université de Bordeaux

New Aquitaine Region

 

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