The Humanoid Olympiad in Ancient Olympia

Photo by Eurokinisi

MakerLab participated in the first-ever Humanoid Olympiad, held at the historic site of Ancient Olympia, and organized by Acumino and Endeavor Greece. The event was a feast for robotics- and AI enthusiasts where researchers and companies from all over the world presented the latest in humanoid robots and physical AI, with the idea of sharing innovations and exchanging ideas at the helm.

MakerLab founders Vasiliki Pantoula and Panagiotis Theocharis attended the event with the MakerLab Elite team, with Panagiotis representing the research institute as a speaker. His talk, “MakerLab Elite at RoboCup Rescue: Developing Future Innovators and Advancing STEM Education in Greece”, highlighted the role of educational robotics in preparing students for real-world challenges.

“When we speak about rescue robotics, we speak about one of the most meaningful applications of our field. Robots in disaster response are not abstract projects. They are technologies with the potential to save lives. Imagine collapsed buildings after an earthquake, toxic industrial accidents, floods, or wildfires. These are the situations where robots can go where humans cannot, gathering information, assisting rescuers, and protecting human lives.” 

Excerpt from Panagiotis’ presentation

The Humanoid Olympiad featured expert talks, interactive demos, and hands-on workshops. Attendees interacted with AI-powered humanoids and educational robots, learning how they are trained and how their AI executes different tasks. Robots also performed athletic demonstrations, flexing their dexterity and agility in a friendly, non-competitive environment.

Eventgoers also had the chance to program their own robots, and get practical experience in coding and problem-solving.

“Seeing students excitedly interact with robots and create their own programs is one of the most rewarding aspects of these events. Real-life experience is just as important as classroom instruction when it comes to STEM education”,

Panagiotis noted.

The MakerLab Elite team supported Panagiotis throughout the event, demonstrating their autonomous robots and sharing stories from RoboCup 2025, where they achieved 2nd place worldwide in the RCJ Rescue SuperTeam and 6th overall in RMRC.

The event was also a hub for networking and collaboration. MakerLab connected with robotics and maker leaders, discussing potential projects in, educational robotics, industrial rescue robot technology, advanced AI research and even potential applications in archaeology.

“I had an interesting talk with Minas Liarokapis, CEO of Acumino. We share views on the importance of STEM education and encouraging young people to get into fields such as AI and robotics. He was one of the main organizers behind the event, and we are grateful to him for including us in the program”

Panagiotis explained.

The choice of having the event at the site of the first Olympic Games was not a coincidence: The Humanoid Olympics represents the “best in class” of robotics developers, just as the first Olympics represented the very best of athletes in ancient times. Panagiotis noticed this too: “Of all the events I’ve attended, this one really stands out for its combination of history and innovation. There’s something inspiring about demonstrating groundbreaking robotics in the birthplace of the Olympic Games.”

The event underscored the importance of hands-on experience and collaboration in shaping the next generation of engineers and researchers. Participants were inspired by learning about the latest innovations from leading humanoid companies at the event. Panagiotis noted that seeing new developments in AI, robot capability, and human-robot interactions gave him new input and ideas for both educational and research projects at MakerLab.

“It’s incredible to see how much progress is being made around the world. Watching these humanoids perform complex tasks and hearing about advanced AI applications reminds me that we are part of a rapidly evolving field. It motivates us to take our own students and robots even further”

he said.

The Humanoid Olympics was the first of its kind, but is planned to be an annually recurring event. Visit https://humanoidolympiad.org/ to learn more.