[robocup-small] RoboCup 2014 João Pessoa, Brazil [Newsletter #2]
Angelo Gurzoni Jr
jgurzoni at yahoo.com.br
Sun Jun 8 21:36:01 EDT 2014
NEWSLETTER # 2
RoboCup 2014 - João Pessoa, Brazil - July 19th-25th
<http://www.robocup2014.org/> www.robocup2014.org
CONTENTS
1. RoboCup 2014 – João Pessoa
2. RoboCupper Checklist
3. Important Dates
4. Visa
4.1. Important Notice for Junior Teams
5. Electricity in Brazil
6. RoboCup Symposium
6.1 Invited Speakers
6.2. Call for Participation – Workshop on Educational Robotics
7. Air Transportation and Transfer from Airports
8. Accommodation – new hotels
9. Cargo
10. Health
11. Shuttle
12. Contact
1. RoboCup 2014 – João Pessoa
Dear RoboCuppers… this is the second newsletter from the local organization of RoboCup 2014. We are less than two months away from RoboCup and you should make sure to read the news carefully in order to prepare your team for travelling to Brazil.
Throughout the newsletter you will find important information regarding lodging, registration, visa, transportation from the airports, and shuttle between hotels and the venue. If you have any doubts on these matters, do not hesitate on contacting us through one of the listed emails.
We hope to see you soon in João Pessoa: a lively seafront city and the second greenest capital in the world, home of clean swimming water beaches and an amazing native Atlantic forest.
Further information can be found on RoboCup 2014 website www.robocup2014.org <http://www.robocup2014.org> .
You can also follow us on Twitter (@RoboCup2014) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RoboCup2014 <http://www.facebook.com/RoboCup2014> ).
2. RoboCupper Checklist
Depending on your nationality Apply for Visa
Until 10 June, 2014 Book your hotel room
Until 24 June, 2014 Register your team
Until 1 July, 2014 Have your cargo collected
Until 10 July, 2014 Book your transfer from airports
3. Important Dates - Registration
In the tables below you can find the important dates of the Major competitions, the Junior competitions and the Symposium. Remember that no teams can register after June 24, 2014. Make sure you enroll your team before that date.
Senior leagues
Regular registration: 15 May – 24 June 2014 (No team registration accepted after 24 June)
Late registration: 25 June – 18 July 2014
Team setup: 19-20 July 2014
Competitions: 21-24 July 2014
-----------------
Junior leagues
Pre-registration by regional representatives: 24 March – 31 May 2014
Registrations: 25 March – 24 June 2014 (No team registration accepted after 24 June)
Late registrations: 25 June – 18 July 2014
Setup: 20 July 2014
Competitions: 21-24 July 2014
Junior workshop at symposium: 25 July 2014
-----------------
Symposium
Notification to authors: 6 June 2014
Submission of camera-ready copies: 20 June 2014
Symposium: 25 July 2014
For more information regarding registration, see http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=125
4. Visa (visa at robocup2014.org <mailto:visa at robocup2014.org> )
Remember that some countries require you to apply for a short stay visa before travelling to Brazil. A letter of invitation can be provided after team registration and payment have been completed. The details regarding the VISA procedure can be found in our website together with the procedure to apply for a letter of invitation (http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=539).
4.1. Important Notice for Junior Teams
According to the Brazilian Child and Youth Statute, a Travel Authorization for Minors is mandatory for children under 18 years of age travelling in any of the following circumstances:
- accompanied by only one parent
- unaccompanied
- accompanied by a third party
The travel authorization must be granted by means of a document with authenticated signatures, legalized by the Embassy of Brazil in your country. IMPORTANT: children from 3 months to 6 years of age must also show proof of vaccination for polio. No other vaccination is required or needed for travelling to João Pessoa.
5. Electricity in Brazil
João Pessoa is a 220V at 60Hz city, as are all electrical installations in RoboCup 2014 Venue. Please, make sure that your electrical equipments can fit these electrical specifications. It is also important to pay attention to the Brazilian new standard plug: NBR 14136. Please, make sure you bring adapters for your country standard. If your country’s standard plug fits the old Brazilian plug, you can easily find adapters in Brazil.
6. RoboCup Symposium (symposium at robocup2014.org <mailto:symposium at robocup2014.org> )
6.1 Invited Speakers
RoboCup Symposium 2014 is please to announce its speakers: Dr. Rodney Brooks and Prof. Sami Haddadin.
Dr. Rodney Brooks is the Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT. He is a robotics entrepreneur and Founder, Chairman and CTO of Rethink Robotics. He is also a Founder, former Board Member (1990 – 2011) and former CTO (1990 – 2008) of iRobot Corp (Nasdaq: IRBT). Dr. Brooks is the former Director (1997 – 2007) of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and then the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
Sami Haddadin is full professor and director of the Institute of Automatic Control (IRT) at Leibniz University Hanover, Germany. Previously, he was the Scientific Coordinator of the Human-Centered Robotics group at the Robotics and Mechatronics Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Lecturer at Technical University of Munich (TUM). In 2011 he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University and consulting scientist of Willow Garage, Inc., Palo Alto till 2013. His research topics include physical Human-Robot Interaction, nonlinear robot control, real-time motion planning, real-time task and reflex planning, robot learning, optimal control, human motor control, variable impedance actuation, and safety in robotics.
Dr. Brooks told us a few words on what to expect for RoboCup 2014.
RC2014: What do you expect to find at Robocup 2014?
I'm looking forward to seeing cutting edge robotics and people working their hearts out to make their robots cooperate and work together better than ever before.
RC2014: RoboCup 2014 will be held in Brazil, a developing country that begins to have investments in technology. How this event can contribute to increase technology investments?
RoboCup has been a great robotics training ground for students. Around the world today there is heightened interest in robotics as a practical technology that is becoming more and more important in all aspects of industry and healthcare. So having a healthy supply of students who have learned robotics through RoboCup is going to have a direct influence on the development of robotics industries in each country.
RC2014: What message would you leave to RoboCuppers?
Remember that winning is not the goal in itself. Those who learn how to make their robots better and do so will be the winners.
6.2 Call for Participation – Workshop on Educational Robotics
If you are a teacher, mentor or student from schools, clubs, community centers, and educational institutions that offer formal and informal educational opportunities in robotics you can share and discuss your experiences and the current practices using robotics in this workshop.
Details on selected topics of interest and types of presentation can be found at: http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=106
Please, keep in mind the following dates:
- submissions deadline: June 13, 2014
- notification of acceptance: June 23, 2014
- submission of final version: July 11, 2014
7. Air Transportation and Transfer from Airports
João Pessoa is accessible by air and road. Although João Pessoa airport has flights from most Brazilian cities, most international routes in the northeast arrive in Recife and Natal airports, located 125km and 200km from João Pessoa, respectively. The official travel agency, Luck Viagens, can help you book your flight.
For transportation from one of these airports, a variety of special arrangements for participants at reduced rates have been made. It is highly recommended to make use of these safe and effective ways of transportation between the airport and your hotel. These can be booked through RoboCup 2014 receptive agency before July 10th (http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=1180). Furthermore, there will be people assisting RoboCup 2014 team at these airports. Indication of our location in these airports will be sent in a following newsletter.
8. Accommodation – New hotels
Regarding accommodation in João Pessoa, the overall suggestion is to stay in the safe coast area that encompasses the Tambau and Cabo Branco Beaches and avoid walking away from the coast. The RECOMMENDED hotels for the event are along the coast where you can walk during the day and the evening comfortably. In those areas, a special tourist police force will be out to help you in English.
The RC2014 Local Organizing team has selected a number of hotels, with special rates for RoboCuppers. Free shuttle service will be provided for RoboCuppers which will bring you from the recommended hotels to the competition site. Rooms at the recommended hotels are blocked for the event by Luck Viagens agency and you can book them directly through the event website (http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=127), where the list of selected hotels and their prices can be found.
WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE you from booking hotels out of this area. Please use the list of hotels on the website to assure that your visit in Brazil will be very comfortable and pleasant.
Please, notice that the deadline for guaranteed booking of one of the blocked rooms is June, 10th. After that, the availability of rooms and their prices will be subject to modifications by the hotels.
You can find a list of RoboCup 2014 affiliated hotels in our website. These hotels can be booked through the online booking system (http://luck.short-nx.com.br/paginassite/compra.php?lang=2 <http://luck.short-nx.com.br/paginassite/compra.php?lang=2&pOIDEvento=4254803> &pOIDEvento=4254803). IMPORTANT: If you book rooms through our official agency, your credentials (participation badges) will be available in the hotel upon your arrival.
9. Cargo
If you need to transport your robots/equipments as cargo, you will need a specialized company to transport it and proceed with temporary importation in Brazil. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND you choosing any company as it might not be aware of the full admission process. For this matter, we recommend Lauro Victor de Barros Despachos Aduaneiros Ltda, RoboCup 2014 official cargo transportation agency. They are a third party company prepared to deal with the particular conditions of RoboCup and make point-to-point transportation from almost all countries. Moreover, they can assure the delivery of your cargo in the venue on schedule if you follow the procedures and dates.
Cargo Important Dates
Collect date in your institution (last date) 1 July, 2014
Delivery date at venue 17 July, 2014
10. Health
Regarding vaccination, João Pessoa does not require Yellow Fever or Malaria vaccines. However, if you plan to visit other areas of Brazil you should check for recent travel health information of other areas 4-8 weeks before departure. Additional information and hints will be given on the event web page.
11. Shuttle
There will be convenient, free and safe shuttle busses available for RoboCuppers between the recommended hotels and the competition site. To use the shuttle, you need to show your RoboCup participation badge. The shuttle stops are made available on the website. All hotels indicated in our accommodation list are in the area covered by the lines. The shuttle stops are clearly marked in the hotel list. The place and number of stops and buses will be adapted according to the final distribution of participants to the recommended hotels.The use of the shuttles is highly recommended to all participants.
12. Contact
For questions regarding RoboCup 2014, please contact one of the mail addresses below.
General: info at robocup2014.org <mailto:info at robocup2014.org>
Chairs: chairs at robocup2014.org <mailto:chairs at robocup2014.org>
Competitions: please, refer to your league direct email on http://www.robocup2014.org/?page_id=240
Looking forward to seeing you in Brazil!
On behalf of the RoboCup 2014 organization.
Best regards,
Alexandre Simões
Esther Colombini
Flavio Tonidandel
(chairs RoboCup 2014)
Carmen Faria
(RoboCupJunior 2014 LOC Chair)
Reinaldo Bianchi
(RoboCup 2014 Symposium co-chair)
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