New PhyRC Challenge Kicks Off: A Robotic Caregiving Competition

We are delighted to announce the start of the PhyRC Challenge's Simulation Phase (Phase 1)! This competition focuses on physical robotic caregiving, aiming to facilitate innovation in this field. Participants can register until September 8, and submissions will be accepted until October 31.

The challenge includes two tracks: Track 1 – Fixed-base Manipulation for Robot-assisted Dressing and Track 2 – Mobile Manipulation for Robot-assisted Bed Bathing. Teams can choose to compete in one or both tracks. The Simulation Phase utilizes the RCareWorld simulation platform, providing all necessary resources, including human avatars, robots, and environmental objects as executables.

Additionally, we are excited to introduce RCareWorld 1.5.0, now featuring a user-friendly Python interface and ready-to-use Unity executables. This update makes it easier for researchers from various backgrounds to engage with caregiving robots and general robot manipulation.

For more information, visit the PhyRC Challenge website (https://emprise.cs.cornell.edu/rcareworld/challenge/). If you have any questions, please email [empriselab21 at gmail.com](mailto:empriselab21@gmail.com) with "[PhyCare]" in the subject line.