{"title":"Autonomous Ground Navigation in Highly Constrained Spaces: Lessons Learned From the Third BARN Challenge at ICRA 2024 [Competitions]","authors":"Xuesu Xiao, Zifan Xu, Aniket Datar, Garrett Warnell, Peter Stone, Joshua Julian Damanik, Jaewon Jung, Chala Adane Deresa, Than Duc Huy, Chen Jinyu, Chen Yichen, Joshua Adrian Cahyono, Jingda Wu, Longfei Mo, Mingyang Lv, Bowen Lan, Qingyang Meng, Weizhi Tao, Li Cheng","doi":"10.1109/mra.2024.3427891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2024.3427891","url":null,"abstract":"The third Benchmark Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge took place at the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2024) in Yokohama, Japan and continued to evaluate the performance of state-of-the-art autonomous ground navigation systems in highly constrained environments. Similar to the trend in the first and second BARN Challenges at ICRA 2022 and 2023 in Philadelphia (North America) and London (Europe), the third BARN Challenge in Yokohama (Asia) became more regional, i.e., mostly Asian teams participated. The size of the competition has slightly shrunk (six simulation teams, four of which were invited to the physical competition). The competition results, compared to the last two years, suggest that the field has adopted new machine learning approaches, while at the same time slightly converged to a few common practices. However, the regional nature of the physical participants suggests a challenge to promote wider participation all over the world and provide more resources to travel to the venue. In this article, we discuss the challenge, the approaches used by the three winning teams, and lessons learned to direct future research and competitions.","PeriodicalId":55019,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pioneering Innovation in Autonomous Robotics: IEEE RAS ICRA 2024 Bots & Bento Competition [Competitions]","authors":"Arne Rost","doi":"10.1109/mra.2024.3427890","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2024.3427890","url":null,"abstract":"The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society International Conference on Robotics and Automation (RAS ICRA) 2024 Bots & Bento competition, held from 13 to 17 May in Yokohama, Japan, was a groundbreaking event that showcased cutting-edge innovations in autonomous material handling systems as part of a hackathon with several international teams. Co-organized by the Technical University of Munich Venture Lab for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (TUM Venture Lab Robotics/AI), UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyoIPC), and Olive Robotics, this competition aimed to advance robotics technology, activate entrepreneurial thinking, and foster international collaboration (\u0000<xref ref-type=\"fig\" r xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">Figure 1</xref>\u0000).","PeriodicalId":55019,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine","volume":"1135 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CYBATHLON 2024 The Third Edition: What’s New and What’s Different? [Competitions]","authors":"Charles Bara","doi":"10.1109/mra.2024.3422737","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2024.3422737","url":null,"abstract":"In the ever-evolving landscape of assistive technology and human–machine interaction, the CYBATHLON 2024 promises to be a groundbreaking event showcasing the latest advancements in the field of assistive technologies. The CYBATHLON 2024 aims to foster an even greater inclusion of people with disabilities in society. As we are on the road toward the next edition of this unique competition, expect new disciplines and tasks, a global multihub format, and integrated elements of artificial intelligence (AI). Let’s explore what’s new and different for CYBATHLON 2024 than the previous two editions in 2016 and 2020.","PeriodicalId":55019,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the Future: Insights From the Journey of Inception Robotics [Student’s Corner]","authors":"Dipam Patel","doi":"10.1109/mra.2024.3428788","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2024.3428788","url":null,"abstract":"As graduates face the big decision of choosing a career in academia, industry, and entrepreneurship, hearing from experienced individuals in the respective fields can be incredibly helpful. This will provide them with a fresh perspective about the challenges and rewards for the path they choose. By learning about their real-life experiences in the rapidly evolving field of robotics, the future graduates would be equipped with the knowledge they need to make informed career choices.","PeriodicalId":55019,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine","volume":"135 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anniversaries Are a Good Time to Reflect on the Past, Present, and Future of Robotics and Automation [President’s Message]","authors":"Aude Billard","doi":"10.1109/mra.2024.3428169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2024.3428169","url":null,"abstract":"This month, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) will celebrate 40 years of its flagship conference, the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), with a special edition named <italic xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">ICRA@40</i>\u0000. This unique event will be held from 23 to 26 September 2024 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.","PeriodicalId":55019,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}