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Humanoid Virtual Athletics Challenge

Build and run your super-cool humanoid robot in the virtual world!

Challenge 2026

Aim of this challenge

Humanoid Virtual Athletics Challenge is a simulation-based robotics challenge aiming at co-learning of motion planning and control techniques for humanoid and legged robots. Since HVAC2021, many teams from beginners to experts participated and showed various exciting performances. HVAC2026 calls for participation of enthusiasts in three challenge categories athletics, dance, and short track.

Important Dates of 2026

Team registration period: until approximately 1 week prior to the main challenge
Simulation result submission period: same as above
Main Challenge: September 1st, 2026, to be held as part of RSJ2026 open forum

How to participate

Register your team information through this appllication form. Upon acceptance of registration, you will receive a link for uploading simulation log data.
There are two ways to participate in the challenge: [1] submit simulation log data during the submission period, and [2] perform simulation during the main challenge event.
Qualified simulation results will be listed in the challenge web page. A team which achieved a milestone will be awarded during the main challenge event.

Challenge Themes

Athletics

The robot traverses the athletic field from the starting position to the goal. Performance is evaluated by reached landmark and elapsed simulation time.

Athletics Field

Dance

The robot performs dancing that requires whole-body motion. Dance performance is evaluated in terms of both artistic quality and technical quality.

Robot models used for dance performance

Short track

The robot walks/runs the 20[m] short track. Performance is evaluated by elapsed simluation time while the robot passes the start line and the goal line.

Short-track Field

Regulation

Detailed regulation

Please see the following document for detailed regulations. Regulations are tentative and subject to change.

Quick Start

See README of vnoid for quick instructions.

Committee

HVAC2026 is hosted by the Special Interest Group on Humanoid Robotics of the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ-SIG-HR).
HVAC2026 is run by volunteers consisting of members and non-members of RSJ-SIG-HR.
- Commitee members
  - Yuichi Tazaki (Kobe Univ.)
  - Takumi Kamioka (Stealth Startup)
  - Tomomichi Sugihara (OMRON Corp.)
  - Masaki Murooka (AIST)
  - Kenji Hashimoto (Waseda Univ.)
  - Ikuo Mizuuchi (Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture and Technology)
  - Yohei Kakiuchi (Toyohashi Univ. of Technology)
  - Shin’ichiro Nakaoka (Choreonoid)
  - Soh Yukizaki (Kawasaki Heavy Industries)
  - Kunio Kojima (Univ. of Tokyo)
  - Taiki Ishigaki (Tokyo Univ. of Science)

Asking Questions

Post your question at https://github.com/ytazz/vnoid/discussions