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 YUTA
Professor, 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), and
 Tsukuba City (Local Government)
Movies Clips
from Tsukuba Challenge 2010
Science News by JST:Trial Days
 Science News by JST:Final

Tsukuba Challenge2010 JST実験走行
Tsukuba Challenge2010JST本走行

TV News by FNN
TsukubaChallenge2010-FNN
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
street
No postponed in case of rain
There may be pedestrians or bicycles

Route of Tsukuba Challenge2010
Total 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 Order
Define 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 Following
 Teaching Playback / Motion Design
Map
 Measured / Self-made
 Google / Provided by Local Government
Positioning
 GPS
 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 Challenge2010
Total 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 Sunday）：
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)
６８
（incl. 59 Teams Cont. from TC2009)
Participation of Rally
６４
Teams Passing Trial
３１（＋１）
Succesfully Completed Mission ７
Registration
Participants in Tsukuba Challenge 2009






University
Research Labs.
Companies
Joint of Uni. & Company
Club or Circle
Personal
（Total
72）
48
4
2
6
7
5
Participants in Open Experiment Day (2010)
First
7/24
Second 9/4
Third
9/26
Fourth 10/15
Fifth
11/6
Sixth
11/14
Seventh 11/16
Eighth 11/17
33
33
31
47
45
43
55
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 Participated
 25 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
Tsukuba Challenge 2010
Intelligent Systems Lab, UEC
ＣＡＲＴＩＳ Ｔｙｐｅ
Ｒ
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.,NAD
Smart Dump IV
Fuji Soft Corp. and Uni. Tsukuba
TUFS2010
Movies Clips
from Tsukuba Challenge 2010
Science News by JST:Trial Days
 Science News by JST:Final

Tsukuba Challenge2010 JST実験走行
Tsukuba Challenge2010JST本走行

TV News by FNN
TsukubaChallenge2010-FNN
Records of Tsukuba Challenge 2007-2009
First (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 Information
 Promotion of Special Articles in
Journal/Magazine
 Have 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