IRIM Spring 2026 Seminar | An Overview of IHMC's Work into the Design of Hardware and Autonomy for Humanoid Robots

Abstract: The last five years have seen the transition of the perception of humanoid robots as almost exclusively a research platform to a viable commercial platform. The believed wide applicability of these platforms stems from their huge potential capabilities. With form factors inspired by humans, the hope is that these robots may one day be as capable as their biological counterparts. One of their areas of greatest potential impact are in highly uncertain, highly variable settings like disaster response. However, what goes into making this possible?

This talk will be broken into two parts. First, we will talk about the hardware design of humanoid robots, in particular the design of IHMC's custom humanoids, Nadia and Alex. These systems are highly articulated and thus highly complex, with many degrees of freedom and many subsystems. Beyond complexity, however, enabling them to move through environments dynamically and efficiently requires careful consideration of not only their actuator design but also the passive dynamics. Then, we will talk about IHMC's work in the design of autonomy and human interfaces to enable humans to team with humanoid robots to explore and work in novel environments. This will overview the approach for one of the earliest uses of virtual reality to control humanoid robots.  We will also highlight IHMC's design of a flexible autonomy architecture built on behavior trees that enables on-the-fly drafting of novel behaviors and reliable reactivity, including the inclusion of human intervention when encountered with uncertainty.

Bio: Dr. Robert Griffin is a Senior Research Scientist at IHMC and Director of Research Professor at the University of West Florida. His research focuses on improving mobility and autonomy for legged robotics and powered exoskeletons. He is interested in system level approaches for improving the mobility and capability of these robotic platforms, including platform design, motion design and control, autonomy and manipulation, and perception. 

Dr. Griffin leads the robotics group at IHMC, directing a number of projects focusing on advancing robotics. This has included the Office of Naval Research's SquadBot program, which has led to the development of the Alex and Nadia humanoid robots. He has also led the algorithm development for NASA Johnson Space Center's Valkyrie project, including using Valkyrie as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. Dr. Griffin has also guided the development of a number of exoskeleton systems, including devices used for regaining mobility as well as worker assistance for the Department of Energy. The research in these projects has included the development of novel simplified models for locomotion, contact planning, environmental modeling, the development of autonomy algorithms, and hardware design. His work has resulted in a number of recognitions, including several best paper awards, qualifying as a finalist in the Toyota Mobility Foundation's Mobility Unlimited Challenge, a 2nd and 4th place finish in the Cybathlon Powered Exoskeleton race, and being named as the Outstanding Research Organization in the 2025 Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards. 

Dr. Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University, and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2017 with a primary research focus on the control of bipedal robotic mobility for humanoids and exoskeletons. This includes the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot with ONR and Virginia Tech’s entry into the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge.