The future of humanoid robotics is being shaped right here in Pensacola. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) has earned top honors in the 2025 Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards, receiving the Outstanding Research Organization award for its revolutionary Nadia humanoid project.
Details: This international recognition places IHMC alongside—and ahead of—some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions, including MIT, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and ETH Zurich. The award, presented by Humanoid Robotics Technology in partnership with Novanta, celebrates organizations that significantly advance the field while engaging communities about the societal benefits of humanoid robots.
Meet Nadia
Named after legendary gymnast Nadia Com?neci, the Nadia robot embodies its namesake’s grace and agility. The platform’s impressive range of motion and high power-to-weight ratio set it apart in the competitive field of humanoid robotics. But what truly earned IHMC this distinction was its innovative approach to robot control.
IHMC researchers developed a sophisticated system called Anticipatory and Adaptive Footstep Streaming that enables human operators to control bipedal robots more naturally. The technology anticipates user movements and autonomously adjusts the robot’s steps to match the surrounding terrain—enabling the robot to maintain balance and stability even when the operator stands on flat ground while the robot navigates rocky, uneven surfaces.
- “IHMC is indeed a special place, where researchers work together across numerous disciplines every day to push the envelope in terms of what is possible in humanoid robotics and teaming,” said Dr. Morley Stone, IHMC’s CEO.
The Nadia platform was retired in fall 2025, making way for Alex, IHMC’s next-generation humanoid. Supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, Alex will build on Nadia’s legacy with enhanced capabilities for outdoor urban operations and building exploration. The ultimate goal? Creating robots robust enough to operate in high-risk environments—from military operations to disaster response—where sending human responders would be too dangerous.
- As humanoid robotics continues evolving from science fiction to practical reality, IHMC’s award-winning work ensures that Pensacola remains at the forefront of this technological revolution.
Author: Rick Outzen…