At the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, robots built by teams from around the world are preparing to face off in a competition that tests their ability to assist humans during a simulated natural or manmade disaster.
The competition, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the military's R&D branch, takes place Friday and Saturday (June 5 and 6) at Fairplex in Pomona, California.
Here are some photos of the bots strutting their stuff during the competition finals and the months leading up to them.
CHIMP as a bi-ped
Carnegie Mellon University's CHIMP robot takes a "walk" on two legs, which roll on treads like a tank, during a test event. (Image credit: DARPA)
KAIST operates tool
South Korean team KAIST's robot, DRC-HUBO, operates a tool during a test even. (Image credit: DARPA)
KAIST behind the wheel
Team KAIST's robot prepares to drive a Polaris vehicle during testing, a task that will be part of the finals in Pomona, California. (Image credit: DARPA)
WPI-CMU prepares for stairs
The robot from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Carnegie Mellon University readies itself to climb stairs, another competition task. (Image credit: DARPA)
Momaro removing debris
Momaro, the robot from Germany's University of Bonn, clears debris from a simulated disaster site in a test event. (Image credit: DARPA)
IHMC tackling rubble
Florida's Institute of Human and Machine Cognition team robot, Running Man, makes its way over a field of rubble during a test event. (Image credit: DARPA)
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