Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Ho-Sang Lee is a leading researcher in humanoid robotics, best known for his pivotal contributions to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) as a core member of Team SNU (Seoul National University). His key research areas include bipedal locomotion, terrain perception, and whole-body control for disaster-response robots. Lee’s major contributions center on developing robust control strategies and system architectures that enabled the modular humanoid robot THORMANG to navigate complex, unstructured environments. His most-cited work, “Approach of Team SNU to the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals” (2015, 28 citations), details the integrated controllers and hardware design that allowed a newly qualified team to compete effectively against veteran participants. In a follow-up study (2016, 20 citations), he systematically analyzed lessons learned from the DRC Finals, offering actionable insights for enhancing robot autonomy and operator efficiency. Notably, Lee advanced bipedal walking safety with a novel terrain edge detection method using active sensing and vCoP-position hybrid control (2017, 13 citations), improving stability on uneven ground. His work has directly influenced the design of more capable, field-ready humanoid robots, bridging the gap between lab research and real-world deployment.