A student team from the Robot Learning Lab (RLLab) in POSTECH’s Department of Electrical Engineering, advised by Professor Hyemin Ahn, received an Encouragement Award (President of the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement Award) at the 2026 Humanoid Challenge.

The team consisted of Seonghyeon Kim (team leader, Integrated M.S./Ph.D. Program), Junwoo Kang, Chaerin Lee, Haechan Jeong, Haeun Park, Seongjae Lee, Chihoon Seong, and Mihyun Kim. The students carried out a series of tasks designed to replicate real manufacturing environments, demonstrating the accuracy and stability of humanoid robot operation.

The 2026 Humanoid Challenge was held from July 2 to 3 at Songdo Convensia as a side event of RoboCup 2026 Incheon, a major international AI and robotics competition. Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and jointly organized by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA) and the Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence (KIRO), the competition brought together 12 universities and research institutes in Korea that operate humanoid robot platforms.

Participating teams completed four missions in an environment designed to reproduce actual manufacturing processes: component sorting, component transport, sequential assembly, and wheel mounting and fastening. The POSTECH RLLab team demonstrated precise control and stable task execution with its humanoid robot throughout the missions, earning the Encouragement Award.

The challenge was the first demonstration-based competition of its kind designed not only to evaluate robot technologies, but also to assess the potential for applying physical AI-based humanoid robots in real industrial settings. The award, earned in competition with leading universities and research institutes in Korea, highlights both the research capabilities of POSTECH’s Robot Learning Lab and the students’ practical problem-solving skills.