The Army humanoid robot competition has selected five winners as the service evaluates how emerging bipedal machines could support future missions, according to a Sept. 29 announcement.
The U.S. Army’s xTechHumanoid contest recognized ACES Group, IHMC Robotics, Hydroplane Limited, Ras Labs and Velocity Explorations. Alex Miller, the Army’s chief technology officer, said the program seeks to pinpoint the problems, mission needs and opportunities where humanoid systems could contribute. He described xTech as a way to quickly survey industry and accelerate promising technologies.
The Army humanoid robot competition criteria
Officials reviewed company white papers and judged submissions on military utility, technical merit and technological maturity. From 103 entries, the Army named 10 finalists, each receiving 25,000 dollars, before selecting five winners through live experimentation.
According to the 2025 competition materials, the event put robots through collective tasks within a simulated small-unit combat mission. Evaluations covered baseline capabilities and advanced subsystems. Baseline tasks included checkpoint security, gap crossing or obstacle clearing and firefighting. Subsystem assessments examined thermal sensors, battery endurance and autonomy.
The reality
Robert Griffin, a senior researcher at IHMC Robotics, said the competition’s individual requirements exceeded what the current state of the art can deliver. “The individual things that were outlined were, in any one element, beyond what is possible given the current state of the art,” he said.
He noted, for example, that no robot today can run 28 miles per hour while carrying 50 pounds and operate for 24 hours. Because the Army’s full objectives outpace current capability, teams prioritized specific elements for demonstrations. Griffin’s group emphasized core functions. Their robot, known as Alex, navigated outdoors, responded to voice commands, and under remote control traversed woods and gravel. Video shows Alex attempting to dig with a small shovel and pour soil into a bucket, then ultimately collapsing and being evacuated on a gurney.
Testing subsystems
Some competitors focused on components rather than full platforms. Hydroplane and ACES Group entered battery and power technologies. Velocity Explorations demonstrated software that listened to human radio traffic and interpreted movements and tasks to build a picture of the battlespace and guide robot behavior. Ras Labs evaluated fingertip tactile sensors designed for delicate handling.
Hydroplane’s founder and chief executive, Dr. Anita Sengupta, said the company adapted a 10-kilowatt system originally developed for the Marine Corps in 2024 to a smaller format suitable for a few kilowatts. The device uses a hydrogen fuel cell rather than diesel, offering roughly three times the energy density and higher conversion efficiency, she said. While the system did not directly power a humanoid during the event, the Army tested it for that use case and worked with the company to help establish standards with an eye toward teaming with a robot platform later.
The future of the Army humanoid robot competition
The Army said the competition provided a clear view of both progress in commercial humanoid robotics and the technical hurdles that remain. Officials said the findings will guide research toward technologies with the greatest payoff for warfighters.
Griffin cautioned that the industry is far from fielding machines akin to the T-800 depicted in The Terminator. He added that robots should not be making life-or-death decisions, citing how easily current AI models can be confused or manipulated. He said investor priorities will shape where humanoids go next, with industrial use cases likely leading near-term adoption. His team’s aim is to develop robots that keep people out of harm’s way, including scenarios like firefighting and nuclear cleanup.