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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.

How to participate

This challenge takes place based on participants’ submissions of simulation log data.
If you would like to participate in the challenge, please submit application information from the link shown below not later than the application deadline.
After application, you will receive a link for uploading simulation log data.
After that, you can submit simulation log data at any time during the period of challenge. Submitted data will be checked by the steering committee if it conforms with the regulation, and if qualified, will appear in the list of qualified submissions shown in this webpage.

Important Dates of 2026

Main Challenge: September 1st, 2026, to be held as part of RSJ2026 open forum

Application form

Here

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

Results

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

HVAC2025 is hosted by the Special Interest Group on Humanoid Robotics of the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ-SIG-HR).
HVAC2025 is run by volunteers consisting of members and non-members of RSJ-SIG-HR.
- Commitee members
  - Yuichi Tazaki (Kobe Univ.)
  - Takumi Kamioka (OMRON Corp.)
  - Tomomichi Sugihara (OMRON Corp.)
  - Masaki Murooka (AIST)
  - Kenji Hashimoto (Waseda Univ.)
  - Ikuo Mizuuchi (TUAT)
  - Yohei Kakiuchi (TUT)
  - Shin’ichiro Nakaoka (Choreonoid)
  - Soh Yukizaki (KHI)
  - Kunio Kojima (Univ. of Tokyo)

Asking Questions

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

Mailing List

Search “Humanoid Virtual Athletics Challenge Participants” in Google Groups and ask join.