News
 2022.01.31　We have released the presentation materials at the awards ceremony of the winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd place).
2021.12.09　Award ceremony will be held from 18:30 on January 28 (Fri).
2021.11.10　In rare cases, the phenomenon of continuing to turn in the opposite direction was confirmed, so the conditions of occurrence, the impact on the competition, the response policy, etc. are summarizedhere
2021.10.18　The materials used in the seminar have been added to the distribution dataset.
2021.10.05　A webinar(Japanese Only) will be held on Oct 15th. If you would like to participate, please apply here.
2021.09.24　Fixed bug of being "right_turning_pressure_mpa" and "left_turning_pressure_mpa" 0 for all time.
2021.09.16　Changed the lever range from 0.0 to 1.0.

Purpose of this competition

Due to the lack of workforce caused by the declining population and the aging society, the necessity for automating processes using AI in the manufacturing industry will become all the more important. In the construction industry, there has been a demand for the development of unmanned operation systems to cover the labor shortage due to the retirement of skilled workers and to decrease the number of accidents. 

Considering this narrative, Tadano, which manufactures and sells mobile cranes for construction, has been working on automating the turning operation of cranes from early on with the aim of eliminating labor shortages and improving safety.

In this competition, your challenge is to create an AI-based algorithm that optimizes the rotating-operation using the crane simulator.

Rotating-operation should be done quickly and requires craftmanship as operators need to be careful about both the movement of the crane and the weight of the load. This is the industry's first initiative to take a big step toward automation in the world of construction crane operation, where delicate operations cause large deviations and are dangerous and risky.

We provide you a unique opportunity to experience a crane simulator that models the one used on the real construction site. Hope you enjoy this competition!

Description

You are required to create an algorithm to optimize the rotating-operation of cranes by considering the following five issues.
　　・Minimizing the error from the target rotating-operation
　　・Minimizing the swing of the load
　　・Minimizing the operation time
　　・Minimizing the burden on the crane
　　・Minimizing the processing time of feedback

For details on evaluation methods, please refer to the Evaluation page.

Reference movie

Here is a reference movie of a crane similar to the simulator distributed in this competition.
（※The actual crane and the distributed simulator have different settings.）


Required output

・A set of source codes simulating the movement of a crane (should be in zip format)
※For details on how to run the simulator, please refer to README.md enclosed in the source code and "Simulator".

About the Submission

Submit the program for controlling the simulator which is compressed in a zip file.
※For details, please refer to README.md enclosed in the source code.

Evaluation perspective

Scores are calculated on each of the following terms, and the weighted average of these scores is used to evaluate the accuracy of the algorithm.
 1. the error from the target rotating-operation
 2. the swing of the load
 3. the operation time
 4. the burden on the crane
 5. the processing time of feedback


Formula for calculating each score

1. error from the target rotating-operation, (e) ※calculate the average time for a crane to stop


2. swing of the load, (d) ※calculate the average time for a crane to stop


3. operation time, (s) ※the time taken for a crane to stop is excluded


4. burden on the crane
Maximum turning angle acceleration within the operation

5. processing time of feedback
Median value in the previous 1% of the maximum processing time per step


Formula for calculating the submit score

A weighted average of the values subtracted 1 from the error e, the swing of the load d, and the operation time s is calculated for each of the simulations, and the average of these is used as the final score. The score ranges from 0 to 1 and becomes higher as you improve your simulation.


However, when calculating the score for each evaluation pattern, the score for that evaluation pattern will be 0 if any of the following applies.

 - the load on the crane is too large (maximum slewing angular acceleration exceeds 1 [rad/s2])
 - the processing time of feedback is too long (exceeds 1[s] per step)
 - the error is too large (exceeds 3[m])

※Please refer to evaluate.py in the distributed data set.


Determination of the final rankings

1. During the competition, scores on the leaderboard are computed based solely on a fraction of the test set. We use the rest of the set to evaluate and determine the final ranking after the competition.
2. If you have the same score with the other participants, the rank will be placed on a first-submit.
3. As a condition of winning, the private score must exceed 0.70.
4. Preliminary winners are asked to provide the following items: (If you need to run the source code outside of the runtime environment)
　- Execution environment (OS, versions of libraries, etc)
　- Model source code (should be divided into three parts: preprocessing, training, and predicting)
　- Execution time for preprocessing, training, and predicting
　- Summary of the method you used
　- Hyperparameters and random seed values
　- Strategy for pre-processing, post-processing and modeling, and insights from the analysis
5. When a preliminary winner falls under any of the following, it will lose its eligibility to claim the prize:
　- Does not respond to the contact within the prescribed period
　- Does not meet the terms or rules
　- Unable to reproduce the result
　- Does not complete SMS verification
　- Judged as unfair from the admin

Premise of participation
・Please understand the purpose set in the competition and build a system that is conscious of practicality.
　Practicality here means that it is fully automatic processing, high accuracy, high speed, low calculation amount (HW cost saving), scalable with respect to the amount of data, and high model interpretability.
・Participation by cheating or ignoring the rules is not allowed.
・It is prohibited to slander others or to act against public order and morals.
　If the secretariat determines that it is malicious, please be aware that there is a possibility of deprivation of winning qualifications and membership qualifications before participating.

Information sharing
・Sharing of code, trained models, and data analysis results outside the team is not permitted. However, disclosure is possible in forums that are accessible to all participants.

Rules for registration
・You may have one account per participant.
・If you want to join as a team, you can create a team of up to five people by October 30, 2021. (Click here for how to create a team)

Data limitations
・You cannot use data that is not distributed in this competition.

Tool limitations
・The tools used to train the model should be open, free and commercially available.(Please contact us if you are uncertain about your decision)

Creating algorithms
・If you enter new data in the format provided in the competition, only the model for which the prediction result is automatically output will be evaluated.
・The proposed method should be reproducible without any additional costs (you are not allowed to not use any paid external APIs, etc.), and the algorithms are meant to be used after this competition.

0. Details about the working environment

Your laptop should meet the following requirements to execute the simulator.
Download the required software beforehand.


Please refer to the following URLs as to the installation of docker and docker-compose.
【Windows OS】 how to install docker,  how to install docker-compose
【Ubuntu】 how to install docker,  how to install docker-compose
【macOS】 how to install docker, how to install docker-compose

1. Create an environment

Download the file "simulator_dist.zip" from the data tab, unzip it, start the terminal, and move it under the unzipped folder (where docker-compose.yml exists).
After moving, execute the following command.

* The folder path where you entered the command will be the mount source, so change it if necessary.
* If you use Windows OS, open the "docker-compose.yml" file with an editor, etc., and replace the mount source path "$ PWD" with the absolute path specified by Windows (example:C:\workspaces\simulator_dist) and then enter the following command.
* It takes a few minutes to start up the docker container.

$ docker-compose -f "docker-compose.yml" up -d --build
After the docker container has been launched, enter the following URL from your web browser.
http://localhost:8080/
If you see the Ubuntu desktop screen as shown below, your environment has been launched successfully. If you are already using port:8080, please change the port number in docker-compose.yml and launch the container again.


2. Launch a GUI crane simulator

In the container, Python (3.7.4) and major libraries are already installed. To view the GUI of the crane, launch the terminal from the above web browser ( Applications> Terminal Emurator ) and enter the following command directly.

$ cd tadano_sim
$ ldconfig
$ jupyter-lab --allow-root

After entering the above command, run sample.ipynb after startup to see the crane in 3D.


3. Stop

Enter the following command in the terminal. 

$ docker-compose stop
Stopping tadano_competition_env ... done

4. Restart

Enter the following command in the terminal. 
$ docker-compose up -d
Starting tadano_competition_env ... done

After the docker container has been launched, enter the following URL from your web browser.

http://localhost:8080/
* Depending on the PC, if you leave it for a few minutes, the screen will become dark and you will not be able to operate it. In that case, execute "3. Stop" and "4. Restart" to restart docker.

This concludes the explanation of how to run the simulator.

In the distributed dataset, we also provide a readme file and a tutorial (tutorial.ipynb) to create a submit file. Once you are successful in running the simulator, please refer to the tutorial and try this competition!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the forum "How to run the simulator".

Disclosure policy

As a general rule, in accordance with Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the terms of participation, diclosing any contents such as insights and deliverables transmitted through the information or data provided by our company in relation to this competition is not permitted, however, only after the completion of this competition and for non-commercial purposes, it will be possible to disclose the contents within the score of the table below
Model *1
Private
Analysis results *2
Private
Public : Posting to social media sites, blogs and source repositories, and citing to papers
Restricted : Using in a limited range from research, education to seminars, where many unspecified people cannot access
*1 Execution unit source code and learned models
*2 The insights obtained using the information and data provided, or the solutions including scripts and processed data such as summary statistics

【Conditions for participation in this competition】
・Participants must agree not to use or copy the simulator provided in this competition for any purpose other than the development of algorithms for this competition, and not to disclose it to any third party.
・Participants must agree not to use the results of the analysis in this competition or any rights related to the source codes obtained through this competition for commercial purposes, and not to transfer or grant any rights to any third party.
・After the end of this competition, all participants (those who have not been contacted by the administration as the top prize winners) must immediately delete the simulators and source codes provided for this competition.
・Perticipants must agree to all the terms and conditions of this Competition Agreement.
※If there is a conflict between the Competition Rules and the Conditions of Participation, the Competition Rules is overridden.


Terms of Participation in SIGNATE Competition

In order to participate in the Competition, you are required to agree to these Terms, in addition to the Terms of Use of SIGNATE.JP Site (hereinafter referred to as the “Terms of Use”). You should participate in the Competition after reading carefully and agreeing to these Terms. These Terms, the matters that are displayed as “additional matters” that you have agreed to when participating in a Competition, the Terms of Use and other terms and conditions that you have agreed to (hereinafter collectively referred to as “these Terms, etc.”) shall all be binding on the Participant.


Article 1. Definitions

１.For the purpose of these Terms, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

(１)"Site" means the website "SIGNATE (https://signate.jp)” on which the Competitions are posted.
(２)"Competition" means any competition on AI development or data analysis on the Site as held by the Host.
(３)"Host" is the host(s) of the Competitions. The Host may be SIGNATE, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”) or the Company’s client companies, affiliated companies, schools or organizations, etc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Client(s)”).
(４)"Participant(s)" means the member(s) who participate in a Competition.
(５)"Submissions" means, collectively, the analysis and prediction results and reports, etc. as submitted in the Competition.
(６)"Final Submissions" means the Submissions that are specified by a Participant on the prescribed page in the Site by the time of completion of a Competition.
(７)"Winner Candidate" means the Participant who has received a notice from the Company that he/she is nominated as a winner candidate.
(８)"Submissions for Final Judgment" means the analysis and prediction model and learning data, etc. as submitted by a Winner Candidate pursuant to the instructions of the Company.
(９)"Final Judgment" means the acceptance inspection and judgment, including reproducibility verification, by the Company for the Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment of a Winner Candidate.
(１０)"Winner" means the Winner Candidate who is informed by the Company that he/she has won a prize.

Article 2 Competition

１.A member who desires to participate in a Competition shall be required to agree to these Terms and to satisfy the conditions for participation as specified in each such Competition. Any person who is not a member shall not participate in any Competition.
２.Participants shall participate in each Competition in the manner as advised by the Company and shall be obligated to comply with the rules as prescribed in each Competition.
３.Participants may submit the Submissions for the assignment of each Competition during the period of such Competition and submit a proposal on the method of solving the problem to the Host by the end of the period of the said Competition.
４.Participants may submit the Final Submissions in the form specified in each Competition by the time specified by the said Competition.
５.The Final Submissions as submitted shall be evaluated by the evaluation method as specified in each Competition and the final rank order shall be determined based on such evaluation.
６.Any Participant may, as a general rule, check the evaluation results of the Participant him/herself and each of the other Participants on the Site for the Submissions that may be evaluated quantitatively.
７.Participants shall be liable or otherwise responsible for their own Submissions, including their legality.
８.Participants shall not submit any Submissions that have no direct relationship to each Competition.
９.Unless otherwise provided for, Participants shall not directly communicate to, consult with, make a request to, solicit or take any other actions with the Host in respect of the matters related to a Competition during the period of the said Competition.
１０.Any Participant who has uncertainty or questions about any Competition shall make sure to contact the Company or its designee through the procedures prescribed by the Company as posted on the Site.
１１.The Company shall not be obligated to pay any remuneration or other consideration other than those prescribed in the following Article for any act of the Participants as prescribed in paragraphs hereof.

Article 3 Reward and Vesting of Rights

１.Unless otherwise provided for, any Participant shall satisfy the following requirements in order to be entitled to receive a reward in any Competition that offers a reward:

(１)To be a winner;
(２)To agree to transfer to the Host and the relevant transferee of rights in such Competition all transferable rights, such as copyrights, rights to obtain patents and know-how, etc. in and to all analysis and prediction results, reports, analysis and prediction model, algorithm, source code and documentations for the model reproducibility, etc., and the Submissions contained in the Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment (including the rights as prescribed in Article 27 and Article 28 of the Copyright Act and the rights to obtain patents; hereinafter referred to as the "Rights");
(３)To agree that any relevant transferee of rights exclusively has the right to use the know-how contained in the Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment for its own business and other purpose without any restriction;
(４)To agree not to exercise moral rights to the Rights against the relevant transferee of rights;
(５)To enter into an agreement for the transfer of the Rights with the relevant eligible transferee of rights, including the agreement to the matter in the preceding three (3) items and other reasonable provisions;
(６)To have the personal identity of such Participant verified by the Company.
(７)Not to breach any provision of these Terms and the Terms of Use.

２.Any Winner Candidate shall, after having received a notice from the Company that he/she is nominated as a winner candidate, submit the Submissions for Final Judgment on or before the designated date and communicate the matters requiring confirmation or response in relation to the Final Submissions and the Submissions for Final Judgment to the Company on or before the designated date, in accordance with the instructions of the Company. The Company shall carry out the final judgment based on such matters requiring confirmation or response. If the Company receives no confirmation or response satisfactory to the Company on or before the designated date, the Company may exclude such Winner Candidate from the subject of the final judgment and the Winner Candidate shall not raise any objection thereto.
３.If the Company considers that the Final Submissions or Submissions for Final Judgment need to be amended or modified, or there occur any additional matters requiring confirmation, in the course of the final judgment, any Winner Candidate shall take action or make response in relation to the matters that require amendment, etc. or the detailed information on the matters requiring confirmation, on or before the designated date in accordance with the instructions of the Company. If the Company receives no action or response satisfactory to the Company on or before the designated date, the Company may exclude such Winner Candidate from the final judgment and the Winner Candidate shall not raise any objection thereto.
４.The Company shall determine the Winner through the final judgment and inform the Winner to that effect.

Article 4 Confidentiality

１.Participants shall treat any information, data, or such contents as insights and deliverables transmitted through the service where they receive from the Company in relation to each Competition (hereinafter referred to as the "Company-Provided Information") as confidential information and shall not disclose the same to any third party and use the same for any purpose other than for such Competition and purpose specified by the Company separately; provided, however, that the confidential information shall not include any information that falls under any of the following items:

(１)Information that is known to the public at the time of the disclosure;
(２)Information that is already possessed by the Participant at the time of the disclosure (only in the case where such Participant may demonstrate such fact by reasonable means);
(３)Information that becomes known to the public without the fault of the Participant after the disclosure;
(４)Information that is independently developed by the Participant without reference to any information as disclosed (except for those Submissions of the person eligible for a prize which are evaluated); or
(５)Information that is rightfully disclosed by any third party having a right to do so without the obligations of confidentiality (only in the case where such Participant may demonstrate such fact by reasonable means).

２.Any Winner shall handle his/her Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment in the same manner as prescribed in paragraph 1 hereof.
３.Any Participant may publish any algorithms that they have developed as well as any other materials they have created in connection with their participation in a Competition (including Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment) after that Competition in accordance with the Competition Information Disclosure Policy (hereinafter, "Information Disclosure Policy") posted on the Site. However, Participants shall observe the following matters when publishing information and may not publish any materials prohibited by the Information Disclosure Policy:

(１)Clarify that the materials were created in connection with participation in the Competition;
(２)Give credit in accordance with the notation method prescribed in the Information Disclosure Policy when the materials to be published contain part of a dataset; and
(３)Clarify the location accessible to all Participants (including but not limited to the Competition forum and other locations designated by the Company) where the materials are published (including links, etc.) if publishing materials outside the Competition forum.

４.Any Participant shall delete or return to the Company the Company-Provided Information (excluding the information prescribed in paragraph 3) immediately after the completion of a Competition.
５.If there is any separate arrangement in relation to the confidential information in each Competition, the provisions of such arrangement shall prevail over the provisions of these Terms.
６.If any dispute occurs between the Host or other third party and the Company due to the breach by any Participant of the provisions of this Article and such other party makes any claim against the Company, such Participant shall compensate for any damage, loss, expenses (including, but not limited to, attorneys’ fees), lost profits and lost revenues, etc. incurred by the Company.
７.The provisions of this Article shall survive the termination of the relevant Competition or the Participant’s completion of the procedures for withdrawal from the service of the Company, with respect to the Company-Provided Information and the Winner’s Final Submissions and Submissions for Final Judgment for a period of five (5) years thereafter.

Article 5 Prohibited Acts of Participants

１．The Company shall prohibit Participants from engaging in any of the following acts in any Competition:

(１)An act of cracking, cheating, spoofing other misconduct;
(２)An act of redistributing data files included in the dataset;
(３)An act of directly communicating to, consulting with, making a request to, soliciting or responding to solicitation or other activities to other Participants or the Host (other than the Company) without the involvement of the Company;
(４)Any profitmaking activities using the Competition (including solicitation or scouting activities, and use for a third party in educational business, etc.) without the prior approval of the Company in writing or any other manner specified by the Company;
(５)Transfer, offering as collateral or other disposition of the status as a Participant or the rights or obligations as a Participant (except with the prior written consent of the Company); and
(６)Acts that infringe upon the intellectual property rights or any other rights of third parties; and
(７)Any other act in breach of the Terms of Use.

２.If the Company deems that a Participant engages in any of the prohibited acts as prescribed in the preceding paragraph, the Company may, without prior notice to the Participant, disqualify the Participant from the Competition in which the Participant participates, temporarily suspend the Participant from using the service of the Company, withdraw the Participant’s membership, claim damages from the Participant or take any other measures deemed necessary by the Company.

Article 6 Modification of Terms

１.The Company may modify, add or delete any provisions of these Terms from time to time without the approval of the members.

September 10, 2021