The Duke Humanoid Advances Efficient Locomotion

The Duke Humanoid is a 1-meter-tall, open-source platform designed to push the limits of humanoid motion control. Featuring 10 degrees of freedom and human-like leg proportions, it combines passive dynamics with reinforcement learning to achieve efficient, natural walking. By alternating between passive and active joint control, researchers cut locomotion energy costs by 31%, demonstrating a powerful blend of mechanical design and intelligent control for next-generation robotic movement.