The "HUBO family" is the full lineage of humanoid robots developed at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), in the HUBO Lab led by Professor Jun-Ho Oh. Spanning more than two decades, it is one of the most influential humanoid-robot programs in the world and the foundation of South Korea's standing in humanoid robotics.
The Lineage
| Robot | Year (approx.) | Role in the family |
|---|---|---|
| KHR-1 | ~2002 | First KAIST humanoid — a headless set of arms and legs; proof that one person could build a humanoid cheaply and quickly |
| KHR-2 | ~2004 | Second-generation platform; advanced dynamic walking research |
| KHR-3 / HUBO | 2005 | The first true "HUBO" — a life-size walking humanoid with a head, voice, and independently moving eyes |
| Albert HUBO | ~2005 | A HUBO body with an animatronic Albert Einstein head built by Hanson Robotics — a famous human-robot-interaction showcase |
| FX-1 | — | A rideable/experimental platform within the lab's work |
| HUBO 2 | 2010 | Major upgrade; the first commercialized HUBO platform, supplied to research institutions worldwide |
| DRC-HUBO / DRC-HUBO+ | 2013–2015 | Disaster-response transforming humanoid; won the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge |
Availability
The HUBO family consists of research robots. They were developed at KAIST and commercialized — primarily HUBO 2 and DRC-HUBO-derived technology — through Rainbow Robotics, the company Prof. Oh co-founded in 2011. HUBO-series robots are research-grade machines supplied to universities and research institutes (around 20 units worldwide), not consumer products. There is no retail price.
Significance
The HUBO family's significance is threefold. First, it proved — starting with KHR-1 — that world-class humanoids did not require Japanese-scale budgets; Prof. Oh built the first prototype for roughly US$50,000. Second, HUBO 2 turned the platform into a repeatable, commercialized research robot used internationally. Third, DRC-HUBO won the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge, the most important humanoid-robotics competition of its era. The family also spun out Rainbow Robotics, today a public company building commercial robots like the RB-Y1. The HUBO program is, in short, the backbone of Korean humanoid robotics.
HUBO Family vs Other Programs
- HUBO family vs Honda's E/P/ASIMO program: The two defining East Asian humanoid research lineages of the 2000s — Honda's corporate program and KAIST's leaner university program.
- HUBO family vs Japan's Humanoid Robotics Project (HRP): Both were major national-scale humanoid research efforts in their respective countries.
- HUBO family vs today's commercial humanoids: The HUBO family is a research lineage; its commercial legacy lives on through Rainbow Robotics' current products.
Source: KAIST HUBO Lab
