When 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries gathered in Beijing, HUST's students and faculty rose to the challenge and made history.
The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games concluded in Beijing on August 26, bringing together the brightest minds and most advanced humanoid robots from six continents. Amid fierce global competition, the HUST faculty-student team delivered a stunning performance, capturing 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals—a powerful testament to HUST's cutting-edge research in embodied intelligence and robotics.
Leveraging the Joint Laboratory for Industrial Embodied Intelligent Robotics established by HUST and Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center in November 2024, the team competed across multiple events, pushing the boundaries of motion control, dynamic balance and precision manipulation.
Tug-of-War
In the Tug-of-War event, HUST students led the algorithm development and swept gold, silver and bronze in a dominant showing.
For humanoid robots, Tug-of-war is far more than a test of raw power. With only palm-sized footpads supporting the entire machine, robots must maintain dynamic stability under relentless pulling forces. The two-on-two format demanded real-time center of gravity adjustment, ground contact control, joint torque optimization, environmental perception, and dual-robot collaborative decision-making—all under two minutes of continuous strain.
By overcoming critical challenges in specialized algorithm development and dual-robot synergy strategy, HUST students turned the Tiangong 3.0 platform into a medal-winning powerhouse.
Weightlifting
The Weightlifting event tested high-load, whole-body coordination under strict rules: robots had to autonomously step onto the platform, grip the barbell with both hands, lift it steadily overhead, and hold the position for two full seconds—with only their feet touching the ground throughout.
HUST students carried out extensive simulations and real-machine debugging, and claimed gold, silver, and bronze in this event. The champion robot successfully completed a 16-kilogram lift, showcasing exceptional stability under heavy load. The technical breakthroughs achieved here will directly support future applications in industrial handling, material transport, and emergency rescue operations.
Pitch-pot
Unlike the explosive power of tug-of-war or weightlifting, Pitch-pot required robots to execute a complete task chain: autonomous navigation, target perception, arm trajectory planning, and precise end-effector throwing. Every step demanded seamless integration of visual perception, whole-body motion coordination, and dexterous control.
The Beijing Humanoid–HUST Joint Team iterated through multiple simulation rounds and real-machine tests to compensate for hardware-induced execution errors. Their efforts validated the feasibility of dexterous humanoid robot operations in real-world environments, earning them a bronze medal.
From Lab to Life
Behind these medals lies years of deep research. Launched in November 2024, the HUST-Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Joint Laboratory for Industrial Embodied Intelligent Robotics, serves as a strategic platform merging HUST's strengths in intelligent manufacturing and robotics with the Innovation Center's embodied intelligence capabilities.
Focused on humanoid robot motion control and embodied intelligence, the lab is committed to moving humanoid robots out of the laboratory and into real industrial and social service scenarios, bridging the gap between academic research and practical application.
Source
School of Mechanical Science and Engineering(MSE), HUST
ihuster
China Daily
Editor
Jiajia XUE
