A summary of all the robots that made it to the final stage of the “Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest”, with unique personalities such as robots that cry “Koke” and robots that punch with all their might – GIGAZINE

On Sunday, November 3, 2024, “Humanoid rescue robot contest‘ was held. The six robots that remained in the final stage were all unique, so I’ve summarized the competition.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest | Aim for disaster relief using humanoid robots!
https://humanoid-rescon.org/?page_id=10275

The Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest is a contest in which participants operate self-made humanoid bipedal robots to compete on their rescue abilities. An acceleration sensor is embedded in the doll to be rescued, and an important evaluation point is not only speed but also “how to rescue the target without shocking it.” Details of the course and rules of the Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest can be found in the article below.

I watched the “Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest” where people compete for rescue abilities by operating self-made humanoid robots, and the motion and operation techniques that reduce the impact on the person in need of rescue shine – GIGAZINE

Thirteen robots participated in the 2024 Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest, and the six robots that received high ratings in the preliminary rounds advanced to the final stage. The results and competition details of the final stage are as follows.

◆Technology Award: Aranea
The Aranea, developed by Natsuki Miyatsu Nagi of HRP, Jiyū Kobo, Osaka Electro-Communication University, performed extremely smoothly in the qualifying round, but suffered a disconnection problem in the final stage. However, I managed to get it back on track and completed the race to the end.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[Aranea]- YouTube

◆Visual category 3rd place: Rescue sparrow
Rescue Kojaku is a robot developed by Nijiharu Kawabata, a member of HRP, Jiyu Kobo, Osaka Electro-Communication University. It was characterized by its arms being extended horizontally when moving debris away, and it was able to blow away the debris with great force. However, he got too excited and hit the doll he was trying to rescue, and was given a yellow card once.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[Rescue Sparrow]- YouTube

◆Visual category 2nd place: Alex
Alex is MASAKI’s robot that participated as an individual. Pay attention to the unique movement that makes it appear as if it is swimming on the ground as it passes through the tunnel. Also, the movement of holding the doll is very smooth.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[Alex]- YouTube

◆Visual category 1st place: Kimimax
The first place in the visual category was Kimimax, which was created by Nika Sakurai of HRP, Jiyu Kobo, Osaka Electro-Communication University. Although there was a disconnection problem before the competition, the robot operated stably throughout the competition and completed all tasks in just 3 minutes and 49 seconds.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[Kimimax]- YouTube

◆2nd place in the installed camera category: AI-chan
The on-board camera section is a section that operates the robot solely by relying on images from the camera mounted on the robot. The operation screen of AI-chan developed by Mr. Tameru Danon looks like this. In addition to extremely poor visibility compared to the visual field, problems such as “camera communication not working properly and video stopping” may occur.

Although there were times when the robot moved to unexpected places due to poor visibility, its slow and steady movements made it a robot that exemplified the contest’s key point of “rescue with less impact.”

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[AI-chan]- YouTube

◆1st place in installed camera category & OECU Cup: Leghorn
Among the many unique robots participating, the one that stood out was Leghorn, developed by Mr. NAKAYAN of Kansai Four Heavenly Kings. Leghorn looks like a chicken, and he was able to complete various tasks while making occasional chirping noises. When picking up the doll, grab it with one hand while saying “Itadaki-ya!” It is a high-quality robot that not only has an impressive appearance, but also has solid technical capabilities such as “Despite its large body, it does not cause much vibration to the ground and the impact value of the doll is low” and “It grasps debris with its hands and gently removes it.” did.

Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest 2024 Final Stage[Leghorn]- YouTube

The Humanoid Rescue Robot Contest is also scheduled to be held in 2025.