[robocup-small] RoboCup 2019: Roadmap

[Christian Lobmeier]

Hi teams,

the next RoboCup in Sydney is right around the corner, well, almost. So
we've already met up to talk about the major changes for the upcoming
RoboCup. A lot of these changes have already been discussed in the Open
TC/OC meeting in Montreal, so you should already be prepared for what is
going to come to the SSL.

*1. Discord*
We will use Discord as a form of communication in the SSL. If you have
anything to share, discuss or ask, feel free to do so. To our knowledge,
Discord is still available in all countries except for the UAE, so it's a
more eligible alternative to the current Telegram group. All important
information will still be sent via email.

https://discord.gg/t724m8c
(The invite link is permanent and also published in the SSL-Wiki:
http://wiki.robocup.org/Small_Size_League)

*2. Number of robots and field size*
Division A will be played with *11 robots* per team on an even larger field
by *2020*. The RoboCup 2019 will have the same number of robots and same
field dimensions as this year. The number of robots or the field size will
not be changed in division B for at least the next few years.

*3. Rules*
The rules will be completely rewritten in order to make it more clear,
straight-forward and understandable. The plan is to publish a first release
candidate on *October 31st*. Since the league is still adapting to the
massive amount of changes this year, we haven't planned to make huge
changes for the next RoboCup. That said, we do have some minor changes in
mind that need to be discussed in detail still.

*4. Technical Challenges*
There will be technical challenges again for the RoboCup in Sydney. We
decided to break with tradition and announce the technical challenges
already on *August 31st *to give everyone enough time to implement it.

*5. RefBox*
The RefBox will be completely rewritten. It will replace the current
front-ends of the AutoRefs while fitting on any common screen,
horizontally! Also, the RefBox will communicate with the computers of the
teams (in both divisions). This includes:
- team name
- choosing the goalie id
- the team computers can send a request for exchanging a robot automatically
- the RefBox will ask a team whether they want the game to be stopped when
the opponent commits a foul (advantage rule)
However, this does not change the fact that no human is permitted to touch
or control the team computer in any shape or form. For changing the goalie
id or exchanging robots, the teams can still ask the referee, as it used to
be.


Best,
Christian
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