From the Moonwalking to shelf stocking: KAIST unveils next-gen humanoid robot legs
Published: 19 Sep. 2025, 14:55
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- KIM MIN-YOUNG
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![The running lower body of the humanoid robot developed by a research team at KAIST [KAIST]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/19/f247d2f0-39ad-41dd-bb6e-6a3f0fffa0fb.jpg)
The running lower body of the humanoid robot developed by a research team at KAIST [KAIST]
A research team at KAIST has developed the legs of a next-generation humanoid robot designed to have advanced mobility for future deployment in real-world industrial environments.
KAIST said Friday that a team led by Prof. Park Hae-Won of the Humanoid Robot Research Center, known as Hubo Lab, within its Department of Mechanical Engineering, had finished the lower-body platform for a new humanoid robot.
The robot, expected to stand 165 centimeters (5.41 feet) tall and weigh 75 kilograms (165.3 pounds), is designed to operate in human-centric environments, mounted with both hardware and AI capabilities.
The goal is to enable complex tasks such as carrying heavy objects, manipulating valves, cranks and door handles and performing combined tasks like pushing carts while walking or climbing ladders — all essential in real-world industrial settings.
The lower body of the robot can currently perform human-like movements such as duck walking and the Moonwalk. It can also run at speeds of up to 3.25 meters per second (7.2 miles per hour) on flat surfaces and can step over obstacles as high as 30 centimeters. The team aims to improve performance to reach speeds of 4 meters per second, climb ladders and clear vertical gaps over 40 centimeters.
As part of the project, the team also built a single-legged hopping robot that maintains balance on one leg while repeatedly jumping, even demonstrating advanced acrobatic skills such as 360-degree somersaults.
![The components of a humanoid robot developed by a research team at KAIST [KAIST]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/19/067115b8-cd96-4e70-8ae7-097697cae9ac.jpg)
The components of a humanoid robot developed by a research team at KAIST [KAIST]
“This achievement marks an important milestone in humanoid robotics, having secured independent capabilities in both hardware and AI control systems,” said Prof. Park. “We plan to develop this into a fully equipped humanoid robot capable of meeting the complex demands of industrial sites and ultimately working alongside humans.”
The team’s research will be presented at leading international conferences. Ph.D. candidate Choe Jong-hun will present the hardware results at Humanoids 2025 on Oct. 1, while doctoral students Kang Dong-yun, Kim Ki-jeong and Choe will jointly present the AI algorithm findings at CoRL 2025, an academic conference for robot learning, on Sept. 29.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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