Humanoid robotics is gradually moving from research laboratories into its first pilot deployments in real-world settings. Companies and public institutions are therefore looking for ways to safely test, evaluate, and responsibly implement these technologies. Responding to this demand, the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at CTU in Prague (CIIRC CTU) is establishing a new Interdisciplinary Center for Humanoid Robotics (ICHR). Alza is joining the initiative as a key partner, with an interest in providing capacity for testing and making humanoid robots accessible to businesses and the education sector.
ICHR is an expert platform of CIIRC CTU that connects technical research in humanoid robotics with issues of safety, practical application, social acceptance, and responsible deployment. The center is built on interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts in robotics, artificial intelligence, and cybernetics with specialists in ergonomics, interaction design for natural human-robot collaboration, law, ethics, and social sciences.
The establishment and direction of ICHR were also presented during a recent visit by representatives of the European Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to CIIRC CTU, where discussions focused on industrial digitalization, the practical impacts of AI, and the transfer of research results into practice.
“The royal discipline of robotics” requires an interdisciplinary approach
According to the center’s founders—Václav Kubáček, Tomáš Jochman, and Ondřej Švec from CIIRC CTU—humanoid robotics is the “royal discipline of robotics,” not only due to its technical complexity but also because of its impact on work environments, safety, services, and everyday life. In addition to cutting-edge research, it therefore requires infrastructure for validation and testing. ICHR also builds on the facilities of the RICAIP Testbed Prague research infrastructure, which enables solutions to be verified in conditions close to real-world operations.
“Humanoid robotics is no longer as out of reach as it once was,” says Václav Kubáček, a researcher at CIIRC CTU and one of ICHR’s founders. “Companies need proven methods and safe frameworks for testing and implementing these technologies. ICHR is intended to be a place where research, industry, and societal context meet—and where results are translated into practice,” he adds.
Alza as a partner for bringing robotics into practice
The partnership between ICHR and industry partners—especially Alza—strengthens the practical development of humanoid robotics in the Czech Republic. Joint activities will include various forms of collaboration, from early experiments and testing specific scenarios to sharing experience from pilot projects, education, and real-world deployment. In recent months, Alza has been expanding its activities in robotics, focusing primarily on companies, research institutions, and schools that want to actively work with humanoid robots.
“Initial experience shows that interest in this technology is real. The first batch of Unitree G1 humanoid robots sold out within six weeks without significant marketing support. Customers primarily use them as platforms for development, education, and experiments with autonomous systems and artificial intelligence,” says Alza PR Manager Eliška Čeřovská, adding: “We see that customers today want hands-on experience, to understand the possibilities of the technology, and to start developing their own applications. That’s why collaboration with CIIRC CTU makes sense. We welcome ICHR as a previously missing platform that connects research, education, and real-world deployment.”
“The impulse to establish ICHR comes from the experience of our research teams, which have long been engaged in humanoid robotics from various perspectives and are increasingly encountering specific demands for its practical use. At the same time, it is becoming clear that there is a significant gap between current technologies and their safe deployment in real-world environments. We therefore see ICHR as a natural platform for knowledge sharing—not only toward the application sphere, but also among research teams across disciplines, including student involvement. At the same time, we want to create an environment for safe testing and experimentation with the latest technologies,” says CIIRC CTU Scientific Director Professor Vladimír Mařík.
Three main areas of ICHR activities
ICHR is currently launching activities in three interconnected areas:
1) Technological challenges related to initial deployment
- Connecting technical and societal perspectives
- Development and validation of new solutions and workflows
- Support for companies and public institutions in pilot deployment
2) Human-centered services and the public sector
- A platform for collaboration between industry, research, public administration, and society
- Decision-making based on expertise and validated data
- Emphasis on safe and responsible implementation
3) Skills for adoption
- Increasing public awareness and clear communication
- Educational videos and practical guides
- Workshops, seminars, and sharing of best practices
ICHR will gradually publish its outputs on the website ichr.cz and is opening opportunities for collaboration with additional companies, institutions, research teams, and students.
