First place in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals this past weekend in Pomona, California went to Team Kaist of South Korea for its DRC-Hubo robot, winning $2 million in prize money.

Team IHMC Robotics of Pensacola, Fla., with its Running Man (Atlas) robot came in at second place ($1 million prize), followed by Tartan Rescue of Pittsburgh with its CHIMP robot ($500,000 prize).

The DARPA Robotics Challenge, with three increasingly demanding competitions over two years, was launched in response to a humanitarian need that became glaringly clear during the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, Japan, in 2011, DARPA said.

The goal was to “accelerate progress in robotics and hasten the day when robots have sufficient dexterity and robustness to enter areas too dangerous for humans and mitigate the impacts of natural or man-made disasters.”

The difficult course of eight tasks simulated Fukushima-like conditions, such as driving alone, walking through rubble, tripping circuit breakers, turning valves, and climbing stairs.

Representing some of the most advanced robotics research and development organizations in the world, a dozen teams from the United States and another eleven from Japan, Germany, Italy, Republic of Korea and Hong Kong competed.

DARPA | DARPA Robotics Challenge 2015 Proving the Possible



DARPA | A Celebration of Risk (a.k.a., Robots Take a Spill)

More DARPA Robotics Challenge videos