©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012
J. Berghofer
KUKA Laboratories

©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Competitions are a catalyst for smarter, more dependable robots
• RoCKIn focuses on cognitive skills and networked robots
• RoCKIn will develop standardised testbeds and benchmarks that will streamline R&D for the future
• RoCKIn promotes technology transfers with industrial impact
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• RoboCup GermanOpen 2013 - Magdeburg
• RoboCup 2013 – Eindhoven (Netherlands)
• Automatica 2014 - Munich
• RoboCup 2014 Joao Pessoa (Brazil)
• RoboCup 2015 (Asia)
• European Robotics Week 2015 (Lisbon)
• Automatica 2016 – Munich
• …
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

1. Info on challenges a. RoCKIn@Work b. RoCKIn@Home
2. Info on challenge execution a. Possible Spatial Layout b. Presentation Details c. Marketing and Advertisement d. Publicity and VIPs e. Requirements
3. Attractiveness a. for Automatica visitors b. for Automatica exhibitors c. for Automatica organizers
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

Innovative robot applications in industry that:
– Work interactively with humans
– Have reduced initial programming requirements
– Have enhanced physics simulation capabilities
• Contribute to the continued commercial competitiveness of European industry
• Typical applications
– factory of the future
– Mobile manipulation, mobile robots with high visual perception capabilities, human-robot co-workers, cooperative robot teams, cloud robotics
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

Socially beneficial domestic service robots that
– Have enhanced networking and cognitive abilities
– Support the impaired and the elderly
• Contribute to an improved quality of life for the population of Europe
• Typical applications:
– home assistance to elderly and/or handicapped
– human-robot interaction through speech, gesture, and haptics, mobile manipulation in home and office scenarios, people recognition, following, and guidance, cloud robotics, tele-presence
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

RoCKIn@Work
Team Area
RoCKIn@Home
Team Area
RoCKIn@Work
Arena RoCKIn@Home Arena
Information
&
Exchange Area
Audience
Grandstand ca. 40 m (hall width 71m)
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Organizers will ensure permanent activity
– @Work and @Home take turns in running competitions
– Interviews with Team Principal Investigators during competitions
– Interviews with RoCKIn Principal Investigators about technical challenges
– Moderated discussions with representatives from Industry and the European
Commission
– Introductory and accompanying video presentations during breaks
• Organizers will ensure professional presentation of the event
– Innocentive professionals plus RoCKIn Principal Investigators (all in suit and tie)
– Possible hiring of professional commentator
– Possible involvement of public German TV stations (ZDF, WDR, BR, DW, or similar)
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• RoCKIn EU Challenge will itself do marketing and advertising
– Social media
– Mailing lists: euRobotics aisbl, scientific communities, professional communities
– Support by European Commission
• RoCKIn EU Challenge would welcome supporting marketing and advertising by Automatica
– Promotion of the competition as a special event
• All our advertisement will contain references and links to
Automatica 2014
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• RoCKIn primary goals include:
– Promoting benchmarking through competitions
– Promoting European robotics to the general public and relevant stakeholders
• RoCKIn partner InnoCentive will generate substantial publicity
• High profile VIPs are expected to attend
– Head of Unit and project officers of the relevant units of the Commission, e.g.,
Robotics and Cognition, Factory of the Future, etc.
– Directors of the respective Units
– Commission members
– RoCKIn Advisoy Board members (worldwide renowned Robotics scientists)
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Space for @Work Arena: about 6x8 m
• Space for @Home Arena: about 20x10 m
• Grandstand for audience, projection surface for videos
(visualizing robot camera views and other internals)
• Space for Information & Exchange Desk: 6x8 m
• Each of about 20 teams needs:
– 15-20 sqm of space
– a table
– wired internet access
– power supply of at least 2x16A
• Team area invisible for normal visitors
– special access tickets could be made available for visiting this area as “living lab”
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Competitions always fascinate!
• Team area = “living lab” area (hidden to normal visitors, but open to interested visitors with special permits)
• Visitors see prototypical solutions for beyond state-of-the-art applications and scenarios
• Visitors are invited to submit and discuss new challenging problems for the competitions
• Visitors get to know research groups working on hard problems relevant for new, innovative industrial applications or for professional and end user service robotics applications
• Young kids (e.g. on guided tours through Automatica) become attracted by Science and Technology subjects
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Higher attention for service robotics-related exhibits esp when located near competition
• Increased media attention and exposure if exhibitors are placed near / surrounding the competition arenas
• Opportunity to suggest new challenge problems from own application scenarios and domains
• Opportunity to interact with top research groups
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Higher attractiveness for exhibitors for new application fields and domains of robotics and automation
• Increased media attention and exposure
• Mutual support for/by high-profile EC people and VIPs
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012

• Find out more:
– Rockinrobotchallenge.eu
– Twitter: @RoCKInchallenge
– Facebook: search ‘RoCKiN’
©2013 RoCKIn project, contract no. FP7-ICT-601012