Taking humanoid soccer to the next level: An interview with RoboCup trustee Alessandra Rossi

A core purpose of RoboCup is to advertise and progress robotics and AI study with the obstacles provided by its different organizations. The best objective of the football competitors is that, by 2050, a group of completely self-governing humanoid robotics will certainly beat one of the most current champion of the FIFA Globe Mug. To bring this vision more detailed to truth, the RoboCup Federationhas announced several changes to the leagues We talked to Alessandra Rossi, a trustee that has actually been associated with the humanoid football organization for years, to find out more.

Can you begin by presenting on your own and inform us exactly how you have actually been associated with RoboCup throughout the years, due to the fact that you have actually been associated with numerous facets of the competitors!

I am Alessandra Rossi from the College of Naples “Federico II”, where I am an Aide Teacher of Computer Technology. I started collaborating with and teaming up in RoboCup in 2016, when I began my PhD at the College of Hertfordshire in the UK. I am still connected with the College of Hertfordshire, as I continue to be a participant of the humanoid KidSize group Vibrant Hearts, the lengthiest continually energetic group in the UK. After a couple of years, I ended up being the group leader of Vibrant Hearts.

In 2019, I ended up being a participant of both the Technical Board and the Organizing Board of the Humanoid Organization. After offering on the Technical Board for 2 years, I was chosen to the Exec Board of the Humanoid Organization. In 2025, I was chosen to the Board of Trustees for the very first time.

Throughout the years, I have actually continuously boosted my participation and dedication to RoboCup. I have actually constantly looked for to proactively involve the RoboCup area, both throughout competitors and beyond competitors durations. I additionally function to urge interaction in between the significant and minor leagues and to take part in local RoboCup occasions.

While operating at the College of Hertfordshire as a Checking Out Speaker, we released an on-line component that makes use of RoboCup as a criteria for mentor robotics to undergraduate trainees. The component is still running. I at first worked as the component leader, and this function has actually given that been taken control of by our Vibrant Hearts colleague, Bente Riegler.

In 2015, Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann, Merel Keijsers, and I (as lead writers), in partnership with a number of trustees and lots of participants from various organizations,published a paper on the current and future challenges in humanoid robotics The paper was released in Independent Robotics and is, to the most effective of my expertise, the initial to include such a huge and varied team of factors from throughout the RoboCup organizations. It reviews study within RoboCup and the partnership and harmonies in between the organizations.

Team picture of the humanoid organization groups at RoboCup 2025.

I comprehend that there are some adjustments prepared for the organizations. Can state something concerning that, and especially the adjustments that influence the football and the humanoid side.

The 2050 objective of the RoboCup Federation, as many individuals are possibly mindful, is for a group of humanoid robotics to bet the champions of the FIFA Globe Mug. To accomplish this, it is essential to press additionally because instructions. Among the vital adjustments, as a result, will certainly be a more powerful concentrate on humanoid robotics.

An additional significant adjustment will certainly be the merging of the Criterion System Organization (SPL) and the KidSize Humanoid Organization. This combined organization will certainly have the liberty to specify its specific style and to create a brand-new roadmap that lines up the whole organization towards a common purpose. While the 2050 objective itself continues to be the same, the course towards accomplishing it will certainly require to be readjusted.

It is important to proceed promoting the interaction of groups in the organizations that will certainly be impacted by these adjustments. At the exact same time, we need to acknowledge that innovation is progressing quickly. Over the previous year, particularly, we have actually seen considerable progression in both equipment systems and huge language designs. As RoboCup works as an international standard for robotics study, we ought to continually aim to progress innovation and study– while still enjoying.

Football is the intricate job and actions we are researching, and it is intricate in lots of measurements: from physical control and robotic activity, to interaction and method, and also human-like communications. These consist of reacting to the umpire’s whistle, spoken and non-verbal interaction amongst employee, communications with the instructor, and interaction with the umpire. Every one of these facets will eventually require to be integrated right into the humanoid organization.

The RoboCup Federation has actually concurred some brand-new collaborations with Unitree, Fourier and Booster. What influence will this carry the humanoid organization? Will there be a basic system component with groups making use of a particular humanoid robotic?

I think we will certainly see a mix of various robotics. With the 3 firms presently funding RoboCup, we have actually currently seen that their robotics can accomplish a vast array of actions, and there have actually been considerable renovations in robotic control. Several of these robotics can stroll extremely swiftly– virtually to the factor of running.

At first, there might be the opportunity of numerous groups making use of the exact same system. Nonetheless, we need to bear in mind that both software and hardware can lapse extremely swiftly, so we require to continue to be available to numerous choices. A robotic that is state-of-the-art today might no more be so in a year or 2. Because of this, devoting to a solitary typical system might restrict future progression.

Therefore, the existing concept is to continue to be available to numerous systems. Several groups currently have exceptional tailor-made robotics, and more renovations to these systems ought to be motivated. That claimed, the specific framework has actually not yet been chosen, and these choices will certainly be made in examination with the groups. It is very important to offer the RoboCup area the moment it requires to adjust and progress.

There have actually been some large developments in the humanoid adult-size organization in the previous number of years. What renovations attracted attention to you at RoboCup2025 in Brazil?

One significant adjustment is that we have actually included additional robotics per group. Formerly, interplay with simply 2 robotics per side, yet suits are currently played 3 versus 3.

An additional essential enhancement is the minimized visibility of human beings on the area. There is no more a trainer designated per robotic. In the past, an employee needed to stroll behind the robotics in instance they dropped and ran the risk of being harmed.

I have in fact played in a suit versus the winning humanoid group. Normally, the human group won, yet it was a pleasurable and extremely fascinating video game, as the robotics were remarkably quickly.

Activity from the human vs humanoid suit at RoboCup 2025.

More activity from the human vs humanoid suit at RoboCup 2025.

What has been the basic response from the RoboCup area to the adjustments? I presume it depends upon which organization you remain in regarding just how much it influences you.

Yes, it depends upon which organization you belong to. The responses have actually been a mix of exhilaration and interest. Naturally, every person is eager to see renovations, and individuals have actually constantly been gotten ready for adjustments to the guidelines and the organization frameworks. Nonetheless, there are still some open inquiries, and groups are waiting to see exactly how points will certainly develop. Tomorrow, there will certainly be a conference with the Head of state and a number of trustees to attend to inquiries elevated by the organizations.

The general instructions of RoboCup, assisted by the 2050 objective has actually not altered. Each organization has actually been exceptionally useful and has actually added in various methods towards accomplishing that objective. RoboCup has actually additionally been profoundly useful for robotics study a lot more extensively. Past being enjoyable, the obstacles associated with making robotics play football are astonishingly intricate. The study and remedies established within RoboCup can be related to lots of various other areas and applications.

Regarding Alessandra Rossi

Alessandra is Aide Teacher at the College of Naples Federico II, Italy. Her PhD thesis became part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research study ETN safeguard job at the College of Hertfordshire (UK). Her study rate of interests consist of Human–( Multi) Robotic Communication, social robotics, trust fund, XAI, multi-agent systems and customer profiling. She is Job Supervisor and co-supervisor of the MSCA PERSEO (955778 ), PATH (101072488) and DESSERT (101168792). She is additionally co-PI of the job mistake (FA8655-23-1-7060), and component of a number of nationwide and worldwide tasks. Alessandra is additionally trustee participant of RoboCup Federation, and participant of the Humanoid Organization group called Vibrant Hearts. She is Chair of the IEEE P3108 “Research Study Style”, and a participant of the “Appendix” teams, she is Program Chair of IEEE RO-MAN 2027, she has actually been Robot Difficulty Chair at ICSR 2025, Unique Session Chair of IEEE RO-MAN 2024, Promotion Chair of IEEE RO-MAN 2022 and 2023, Organising Chair of the 26th RoboCup International Seminar 2023, and she gets on the program board of a number of worldwide seminars on human– robotic communication and expert system.

.