DRC-HUBO (and its refined version DRC-HUBO+) is the disaster-response evolution of KAIST's HUBO humanoid — and the robot that won first place at the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, beating 23 teams from six nations to claim the $2 million prize. Built by Team KAIST under Professor Jun-Ho Oh, DRC-HUBO is one of the most accomplished competition robots in history, famous for a clever transforming design.
Availability
DRC-HUBO was built as a competition and disaster-response research robot. Team KAIST built several units to practice for and compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Through Rainbow Robotics, DRC-HUBO-derived technology has been part of the company's research-robot offerings, but DRC-HUBO is not a mass-market product. There is no consumer price or purchasing path.
Full Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | KAIST (Team KAIST, Prof. Jun-Ho Oh); commercialized lineage via Rainbow Robotics |
| Built for | The DARPA Robotics Challenge (2013 trials; 2015 finals) |
| Signature feature | Transforms between a walking biped and a wheeled machine — powered wheels at the knees let it roll on smooth ground and walk on rough terrain |
| Mobility | Arms can be used as extra legs for stability; can kneel and rotate its torso beyond human range |
| Demonstrated DRC tasks | Driving a vehicle, opening doors, using tools, turning valves, traversing rubble |
| Achievement | 1st place, 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals ($2M prize) |
| Notable appearance | DRC-HUBO+ took part in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics torch relay — the first non-human ever to do so |
Significance
DRC-HUBO solved a problem the DARPA Robotics Challenge exposed: pure bipedal walking is slow and unstable on disaster terrain. Prof. Oh's team observed teams struggling with bipedal locomotion in the 2013 trials and responded with the transforming design — wheels at the knees for fast, stable movement on flat ground, switching to legged walking for rough terrain. That insight, combined with HUBO's reliable hardware, won the 2015 Finals. DRC-HUBO stands as a landmark in practical disaster-response robotics and the high point of the KAIST HUBO program.
DRC-HUBO vs Related Robots
- DRC-HUBO vs HUBO / HUBO 2: DRC-HUBO is the disaster-response evolution of the HUBO line, with its transforming biped/wheeled design.
- DRC-HUBO vs Honda E2-DR: Both are disaster-response humanoids that rotate the torso to handle steep stairs; DRC-HUBO won the DARPA Challenge, while the E2-DR remained a Honda prototype.
- DRC-HUBO vs Unitree GD01: Both switch between locomotion modes for terrain; DRC-HUBO is an autonomous competition robot, the GD01 a piloted mecha.
Source: Rainbow Robotics
