The RoboCup Federation (RCF) and MathWorks, a Global Sponsor of RoboCup, are excited to invite proposals for research projects in RoboCup through the RCF-MathWorks Support for Research Projects 2023 initiative.
This support initiative aims to fund robotics research projects utilizing MATLAB and Simulink software, fostering collaboration between RoboCup researchers and MathWorks engineers to drive progress in RoboCup and its leagues.
To provide detailed insights into this call, the RoboCup Federation and MathWorks conducted a webinar discussing the call’s specifics, expected outcomes, MathWorks tools, showcased prior sponsored projects, and addressed queries. You can view the webinar at this link: Webinar Link
For further information or clarification on this call, please reach out to info [at] robocup.org.
Proposal Requirements:
Proposals in this category must fulfill ALL of the following criteria:
- The work must align with one or more of the research topics listed below.
- Primarily utilize MathWorks software like MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, and other associated products. Preference may be given to projects utilizing the development methods specified below.
- Project teams will be paired with MathWorks contacts and are required to engage in at least three progress check-in meetings throughout the project. Teams are encouraged to leverage their MathWorks contacts for any queries.
- Final deliverables must be publicly accessible post-review by MathWorks contacts.
Research Topics:
- Navigation and Planning
- Motion planning and collision avoidance for manipulators and mobile robots
- Motion planning and collision avoidance for humanoid robots
- Perception and Sensor Fusion
- Object detection and tracking
- Lidar and vision-based SLAM
- Point cloud processing
- Sensor fusion for pose estimation and localization
- Control Systems
- Control of humanoid robots
- Hybrid systems and behaviors
- Multi-agent systems
- Robot manipulation and grasping
- Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
- Natural language processing
- Signal and audio processing
- Applied Learning-Based Techniques
- Applicable to any of the aforementioned topics (Navigation, Perception, Controls, HRI)
Development Methods:
- Development Tools
- User interfaces and web applications
- Hardware initialization and calibration tools
- Modeling and Simulation
- Model-based design of software components
- Physical system simulation and design
- Behavior modeling: finite-state machines, behavior trees, etc.
- Multi-agent simulation
- Embedded Systems
- Implementation for memory and power optimization
- Targeting microcontrollers, FPGAs, and GPUs
- Real-time and hardware-in-the-loop simulation
- Interfaces to Standard Platforms
- Robots (e.g., Toyota, SoftBank, FESTO)
- Software frameworks (e.g., ROS)
Support:
Support will be provided as a gift ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 USD based on the quantity and quality of accepted proposals in this category.
Exact award amounts will be communicated upon proposal acceptance. Funding will be disbursed directly by RCF post the RoboCup Symposium 2023 upon satisfactory completion of research and deliverables.
Submission:
Submit a single PDF file through the easychair system under the Category: RCF and MathWorks Support for Research Projects 2023.
The proposal (MAX 6 pages) must cover:
- Project description
- Motivations and goals
- Intended use of MATLAB and/or Simulink software
- Benefits for RoboCup and its leagues (not limited to specific teams)
- Implementation plan and budget breakdown
Evaluation:
Proposals will be evaluated by a committee comprising RoboCup Trustees and MathWorks engineers based on:
- Quality of proposed research
- Research contributions in relation to RoboCup
- Utilization of MATLAB and/or Simulink software
- Impact on the advancement and visibility of RoboCup
A limited number of awards are expected to be granted.
Deadlines:
Submission Deadline: November 30th, 2022 Notification: December 18th, 2022 Completion of the action: Preliminary work expected during the RoboCup 2023 Research Symposium, with official content publication by October 2023
Exceptions to deadlines must be submitted for approval to the evaluation committee.