Tsukuba Challenge: An Open Experiment of

One Kilometer Autonomous Navigation by Many Mobile Robots

in Usual Living Environment in Tsukuba City

ICMA (Aug 9th, 2011)

Shin’ichi YUTAProfessor, University of Tsukuba

Tsukuba Challenge-- Real world Robot Challenge in Tsukuba City Purpose:

Stimulation in the Real World Robot Technology

Getting a Proper Understanding by Usual People on the “State of the Arts” in Robot Technology

Organized and Operated by New Technology Foundation (NTF), andTsukuba City (Local Government)

Movies Clips from Tsukuba Challenge 2010

Science News by JST:Trial Days Science News by JST:Final

TV News by FNN

Tsukuba Challenge2010JST 本走行

TsukubaChallenge2010-FNN

Tsukuba Challenge2010 JST 実験走行

Challenge of Integrated Robotic Systems

in Concrete Real World

Mission Oriented Approach for Robust Robotic System Technologies Importance of Experience in Real World

DARPA operation Grand Challenge 2003-2005 URBAN Challenge 2007

Various Robot Contests RoboCup Micro Mouse

Mission of Tsukuba Challenge for Robots

Autonomous run of 1km on the street for pedestrians

Environment should be as they are (no artificial change)No special treatment for the surface of the

streetNo postponed in case of rainThere may be pedestrians or bicycles

Route of Tsukuba Challenge2010Total Distance: １１２０ｍ

•Course ： Tsukuba City 　　　　　　 Pedestrian Street next to Tsukuba Central Park + Tsukuba Central Park + Side Walk of Bus Street + Tsukuba Center Plaza•Start: Tsukuba Expo Center, Entrance Square•Goal: Tsukuba Science Information Center ( Inside of a Building)

Tsukuba Challenge Real World Robot Challenge (RWRC)

Not a “Competition” No OrderDefine a Common Mission

and Share the Place of Real World Experiment

Disclose Technical Information and Share Experiences

No Prize! http://www.ntf.or.jp/challenge/

Real World Robot Challenge （ RWRC ） Balanced Design and Implementation of

Hardware and Software for Real Problems

Real World:Physically Socially

No Excuse can be Made when Failure

Bridge between Advanced Technologies and Practical Applications 　　　　　　　

Tsukuba Challenge - Mission Compatibility with Society

For the Robots Work with the People Living in the Same Environment, Robot Should

Never Harm People Never Give a Feeling of Frightened or

Discomfort Never Give a Damage on Any Object in

Environment Not Disturb People nor be Obstructive for

the Working Object in Environment

Tsukuba Challenge - Mission Autonomy of the Robot

For Autonomy, Robot Should Have all Functions as Energy Source or

Information Processing in the Body,

ie. Self-Contained Be Prepared all Necessary Hardware,

Software and Environment Information

to Complete the Mission

Tsukuba Challenge - Mission Environment Environment should be, as they are

No special treatment for the surface of the street No postponed even in case of rain There may be pedestrians and bicycles

Environment depends on the Weather Surface Condition of the Roads Depends on the

Weather of the Previous Days, Water pool or Fallen Leaves May Remain on the Road

Environment may also Depend on Social Conditions

Any Objects Originally Existing in the Environment May be Used as a Guide for Navigation, But not Artificial Change can be Made or added on the Environment.

Technologies for Completing the Task Wide Range of Possibilities / Strategy Total Design / Element Selection

Imagination to the Possible Situation Interface with People

Test and Design / Development Cycle

Technologies (Hardware) Vehicle Mechanism

Wheel / Track Suspension PWS / Steering

Battery / Power Management Motors / Drivers Sensors

Odometry IMS / Gyro / Accelometor GPS Vision Camera / Lidar (Sokuiki Sensor)

Single / Multiple / Scanning Magnetic Ultrasound / Audio

Technologies (Control) Control Strategy

Detail Position Estimation / Road FollowingTeaching Playback / Motion Design

MapMeasured / Self-madeGoogle / Provided by Local Government

PositioningGPS Land Marks

Selection Motion Control

Collision Avoidance / Safety

Technologies (Development Environment)

Hardware / Software Monitoring / Record

Online / Offline Wired / Wireless

Simulation Sensing / Decision / Motion

Tools Operator Interface

Passing Over Other Robots One of the most difficult

action: Being passed safely is

more difficult

Preparations and Operation by Organizer Side

Concept and Rules Environment

To Use Public Street

Operation Registration Safety Management Management of the Days of Trials and Final Publicities

Permission for Using Public Street is Required

Route is a Public Pedestrian Street (not for Motor Driven Vehicle)

This Street is governed by Tsukuba City, but, Special Permission is Necessary from the Police Office (!).

Permitted as a Robot Experiment on the Public Road after Negotiations

Several Strict Conditions Given for the Safety of Citizens

Conditions - for Using Public Road

Road can be Used Only at Appointed Days Setting about 10 Official Trial Days

Put Signs of “Robot Experiment” for Citizen Prepare Staffs in Charge of Controlling Traffic

of Pedestrians and Bicycle Assign a Person in Charge of Safety

Management for Each Participating Team

Instructions for the Robot For Safety and Compatibility with Society

Robot size less than 75cm (W), 120cm (L),150cm(H)

Robot weight less than 100kg Maximum speed 4km/h Emergency stop switch Accompanying operator for emergency when the

robot moves by power Robot should be Designed in accordance with

environmental and ecological attention

Tsukuba Challenge 2010

Date: Nov.18(Thu.)-19(Fri.), 2010 Place: Tsukuba City Route: 1km+ in

Pedestrian Street, Side walk of Street, Promenade in Citizen’s Park Tsukuba Center Plaza

Start: Tsukuba Expo Center Entrance Square Goal: Tsukuba Science Information Center ( Inside of a Building)

Route of Tsukuba Challenge2010Total Distance: １１２０ｍ

•Course ： Tsukuba City 　　　　　　 Pedestrian Street next to Tsukuba Central Park + Tsukuba Central Park + Side Walk of Bus Street + Tsukuba Center Plaza•Start: Tsukuba Expo Center, Entrance Square•Goal: Tsukuba Science Information Center ( Inside of a Building)

Time Schedule of Tsukuba Challenge2010

Registration for Participation ：　 June 30th Kick-off Meeting ：　 July 24th Open Experiments (8days = Sat. or Sunda

y ）：　　　 July 24th, Sept. 4th, Sept. 26th, Oct. 15th,

Nov. 6th, Nov. 14th, Nov. 16th, and Nov. 17th Rally - Trial: 　 　　 Nov. 18th (Thu.) Rally – Final: 　　 Nov. 19th (Fri.)

Tsukuba Challenge2010 Registrants (Number of Participated Team)

Registration ６８　　（ incl. 59 Teams Cont. from TC2009)Participation of Rally 　　　　 ６４Teams Passing Trial 　　 ３１（＋

１）Succesfully Completed Mission ７

Participants in Tsukuba Challenge 2009

University 48 Research Labs. 4 Companies 2 Joint of Uni. & Company 6 Club or Circle 7 Personal 5 　 （ Total 72 ）

Participants in Open Experiment Day (2010)

First 　 7/24 　　 33

Second 　 9/4 　　 33

Third 　 9/26 　　 31

Fourth 　 10/15 　 47 　Fifth 　 11/6 　　 45

Sixth 　 11/14 　　 43

Seventh 11/16 　　 55

Eighth 11/17 　　 66

Total Participants: 　　　　 353

Open Experiments for Development and Test (8days)

Record of Tsukuba Challenge2010 Rally　ー　 Trial Run and Final Run

Trial Run 240m Section (Nov.18) 64 Robots Participated25 Robots Passed in First Trial 6 Robots Passed in Second Trial

Only the Robots Passed the Trial Section Qualified to Start Final

Final Run 1.1km (Nov.19) 32 Robots Started 7 Robots Completed

Teams and their Robots Completed the mission Intelligent Systems Lab, UEC

ＣＡＲＴＩＳ ＴｙｐｅＲ

Intelligent Robot La.b. Uni. Tsukuba

Hitotsubo

Mech. Tech. Lab., Hitachi Sofara-T

Furo, Chiba Inst. Tech. Papyrus Ⅲ

Scuderia Frola AIST Marcus

Robotics Lab.,NADSmart Dump IV

Fuji Soft Corp. and Uni. Tsukuba

TUFS2010

Tsukuba Challenge 2010

Movies Clips from Tsukuba Challenge 2010

Science News by JST:Trial Days Science News by JST:Final

TV News by FNN

Tsukuba Challenge2010JST 本走行

TsukubaChallenge2010-FNN

Tsukuba Challenge2010 JST 実験走行

Records of Tsukuba Challenge 2007-2009First (2007) Registrant 33teams Participants in Elimination Trial(100m)

27teams Qualified 11teams Run Completed 3teams

Second (2008) Registrant 50teams Participants in Elimination Trial(100m)

47teams Qualified 22teams Run Completed 1teams

Third (2009) Registrant 72teams Participants in Elimination Trial(100m)

66teams Qualified 34teams Run Completed 5teams

For Good and Effective Use of Results and Experience Publicity

Make Many People and Media have Interests

However, it is not a Event to Show

Request Disclosure of InformationPromotion of Special Articles in Journal/MagazineHave Symposium and OS in Conference

Encourage to make it Open in Source Level

For Sharing Information Organized Sessions in SICE-

SI2007, SI2008, and SI2009 Special Symposium for

Tsukuba Challenge (January, Tokyo)

HP http://www.robomedia.org/ challenge/

Lessons and Impression from the View Point of Organizer Many Participants and Robots Many Audience without Effort in Publicity Weather (not Controllable) Real Time Broadcast in WEB

Attitude of Passers-by and Audience （ at Test Run Day and Final) Big Support by Local Community Structure for Keep Safety

(Short Range) Goal of Tsukuba Challenge

Realize a Mobile Robot Capable to Move in Any Place of Pedestrian’s Street in Tsukuba City

Utilization of these Technologies in Real Problem of the Society

As the Result, Get Understanding of the Meaning of Robots

And then: Make it Easy to Test the Robots Motion and Interaction with People in the Public Space

The Final Tsukuba Challenge (in the Current way) will be held in Nov. 2011