AI Tournament for industrial robots in Air Hockey

Hi, everyone.

I want to announce the AI Tournament for industrial robots in Air Hockey.


Everyone knows the competition of two AI in the GO game. But how about the competition of AI in a more dynamic game that requires tactics, operational reaction and speed instead thoughtful strategy?

For example, Air Hockey!

The simple Cartesian coordinate system - 3 coordinates and 1 Euler angle, only one an influence tool (the striker) on the game . Hence, only one hand is needed. Let take 6 axial industrial robots, put instead of players from two sides of air hockey table…

An industrial robot can make linear and arc motions, adjust the movement speed, rotate the striker in movement. It opens an incredible number of options for punches and flight trajectories of the puck.

It remains only to make the AI who can take advantage of all this diversity, and even at high speed of robot.

However, AIs must be different, like people, from different teams, each with its own character. So it will be more interesting, will not it? Different teams will build AI on different principles. Someone will create the intellect of a thoughtful tactician, another one will lay to setting a primitive reflex “see it - hit it”. By the way, it is not known who of them will win.

To make it all happen and we were able to personally watch the sports-robotic event, the AI tournament was announced for industrial robots in Air Hockey.

To participate in the tournament it is necessary to develop an AI that managing industrial robot. This AI will compete with the AIs developed by other participants at the table for the Air Hockey.

Anyone can take part.

Prize places:

  • 1st place - 2600 USD
  • 2nd place - 1700 USD
  • 3rd place - 800 USD

AirHockey rules for robots under AI control:

  1. The tournament is held on the Olympic system, with the elimination after the first losing round.
  2. AIs play 2 times in 1 round, changing robots after the first time.
  3. The AI with the greatest number of goals wins in the round.
  4. The time is up to 7 goals or 7 minutes, whichever comes first.
  5. AI must withdraw the puck from its field within 7 seconds. AI will lose 1 goal for every 7 seconds in a row, if the puck on its field.

Timeline:

  • 22 January - Announcement.
  • 01 February - Starting of applications acceptance. Also the publication of a technical manual for the development of AI.
  • 01 April - Opening of the beta-stand. Starting from this date, participants can test their AI with another AI or person on a real AirHockey stand and robots.
  • 31 April - Closing of applications acceptance and beta-stand. After this date, you can not send the AI to the test or update the submitted version.
  • 01 May - The draw. Starting of the tournament. Live broadcast of the tournament through streaming service.
  • 07 May - Winners award ceremony.

Technical terms and details:

  • The AI is allowed to tournament after pass the test at the beta-stand.
  • To program robots, you must use the RCML SDK in C ++. A special tournament version will be published.
  • The AI opponents will have the same PCs (under Windows 10), cameras and strikers on robots.
  • The cameras are located above the center of the field, the direction of the view from above to below.

Acceptance of applications will begin on February 1 on the official page of the tournament: https://airbattle.rcml.tech/

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