[robocup-nao] SPL Rule Draft for 2012

[Stefan Tasse]

Dear SPL Teams,

a new updated rule draft for the RoboCup events 2012 can be downloaded 
in the Download section on the SPL page (www.tzi.de/spl).
http://www.tzi.de/spl/pub/Website/Downloads/SPL_RuleDraft2012.pdf
This draft is close to the final version and no further changes are 
planned so far.

The changes are mainly due to some conflicts of the old rules and the 
new situation with the symmetric field, i.e. a local game stuck causing 
robot should not just be put back to the middle line, etc.
Note that for penalty shoot outs, teams will keep their team color, 
which will make everything easier to follow for the audience, and the 
GameController will indicate the attacking team using the kick-off flag.

Another change in the rules is not really a change to how most teams did 
it anyway: Before the initial kick-off at the beginning of a half time, 
the robots will start on the side lines of their half of the field. This 
is to specify the starting position, which the rules did not until now, 
and also to allow robots to have a clear look at the field at least in 
the very beginning, in case teams want to learn the surrounding of the 
field for localization purposes.

There has been a brief discussion on the spl-teams mailing list (and 
longer ones on local workshops) about artificial landmarks to resolve 
the field's symmetry and ways of abuse, which we want to address here 
(and in the rules):

The intend of switching to same-colored goals is to remove artificial 
landmarks. Robots should be able to localize with the SPL field and its 
“normal” surroundings. Introducing new team-specific artificial 
landmarks is against the spirit and intention of the league’s progress.

We think that most teams will come up with solutions which will 
generally be agreeable, so we don't want to ban anything in advance, or 
impose any restrictions. However, for the case that there will be a 
team, which for example pre-configures the robots to expect a huge 
brightly blue-colored backpack next to their own goal, and will not be 
able to play without this backpack, this would clearly be against the 
rule's intentions and we need to address this. In extreme cases like 
this, the head referee has the right to place the object in question 
"somewhere else". If the robots use this object as a landmark, but are 
able to learn the new location, then everything is ok.
The past events support our impression that we can assume that head 
referees will make reasonable decisions and will not abuse this rule, 
e.g. by excessively moving around arbitrary objects close to the field. 
In cases such as the one described above, however, we want to provide a 
way to prevent abuse.
This rule seemed to be the most general and least obtrusive one.

Good luck in the local Opens, and see you all in Mexico!

Best regards,
Stefan Tasse
(on behalf of the TC)

--
Dipl.-Inf. Stefan Tasse
Robotics Research Institute
Section Information Technology
TU Dortmund University
44221 Dortmund, Germany
mailto:Stefan.Tasse at tu-dortmund.de
http://www.it.irf.tu-dortmund.de
Phone: +49 231 755 4513
Fax: +49 231 755 3251


30.12.2011 18:39, Stefan Tasse:
> Dear SPL Teams,
>
> the discussion about next year's rules is still ongoing in the TC, and 
> not all details are finalized, yet. However, we want to give you an 
> idea about the major changes, so I uploaded the current rule draft for 
> you to have a look, and so you can prepare and start planning:
> https://www.tzi.de/spl/pub/Main/WebHome/SPL_RuleDraft2012.pdf
>
> To give a short summary about the most important points:
> The field size and the number of robots on the field will be the same 
> as in 2011. However, we will modify the field in 2012 to have two 
> yellow goals, which effects the rules in several sections. With those 
> decisions we try to take into account both the preferences of the 
> majority of the teams, as well as the necessary progress of our league.
> Other changes are minor so far.
>
> Please keep in mind that this document is only a draft, it is still 
> subject to change.
>
>
> Have a good New Year!
>
> Stefan Tasse