VŠB-TUO Ostrava has its first humanoid robot — a Czech university enters the era of humanoids

Written by Tým ROBOTio · 2026-05-23 · 9 min read

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VSB — Technical University of Ostrava has announced the acquisition of its first humanoid robot for CZK 1.5 million. The machine, 131 cm tall and weighing 35 kg, will serve research into safe human-robot collaboration, a new course Humanoid Robotics in Industrial Practice, and the Smart Factory laboratory. ROBOTio commentary: what this means for the Czech robotics scene.

# VŠB-TUO Ostrava has its first humanoid robot — a Czech university enters the era of humanoids **20 May 2026 in Ostrava.** VSB — Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TUO) has announced the acquisition of the first humanoid robot in the school's history. The machine, **manufactured in China**, cost the university **CZK 1.5 million** and will be the first of a planned series of others. For the Czech robotics scene, this is a symbolic moment — humanoid robotics is ceasing to be the domain of Tesla, Unitree and Boston Dynamics from YouTube videos. It is beginning to live in Czech laboratories, Czech lecture halls and — gradually — in Czech companies too. At ROBOTio we follow the academic side of humanoids with great interest. University research is the fuel that will move humanoids from the laboratory into everyday operation. And when a Czech academic player of VŠB's calibre says that "**humanoid robotics is the future of industry**", it is a signal worth paying attention to. Here is why. --- ## What VŠB-TUO bought and how much it cost From the available public information ([iDNES.cz, 20 May 2026](https://www.idnes.cz/ostrava/zpravy/vsb-tuo-univerzita-vlastni-humanoidni-robot-predstaveni.A260520_935228_ostrava-zpravy_pjen)): - **Height:** 131 cm - **Weight:** 35 kg - **Price:** CZK 1.5 million - **Country of origin:** China - **Capabilities:** walking, clapping, raising arms, programmable actions - **Safety design decision:** a smaller and lighter model, so that an unintentional fall does not cause injury - **Placement:** the Smart Factory laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science The head of the Smart Factory laboratory, **Radim Hercík**, explained in a press statement why the university did not choose a larger model: students will work with the robot during practical classes, and a full-sized robot (e.g. 65 kg) could cause serious injury if it fell. Choosing a compromise between performance and safety makes sense — industrial rules for humanoids have not yet been established, and every university is now defining them for itself. The robot does not yet have a name. It **will be chosen by VŠB students in a poll**. --- ## What the rector said — and why it is not just marketing Rector **Igor Ivan** stated in the press release that humanoid robotics is *the future of industry* and that the university must be prepared for it. On its own, that would be a standard academic statement. What matters, however, is what he said next: > *"This is a pioneer, the first of a series of others."* VŠB does not plan to stop at one unit. Two things can be inferred from this: 1. **The university is counting on a fleet of humanoids.** Perhaps within a horizon of 2–3 years. That is a volume that has no comparison in the Czech academic sphere. 2. **The strategy is not "to have one piece and photograph students next to it".** The strategy is to build a comprehensive research and teaching environment — which logically also implies cooperation with the commercial sector. And this is exactly where the bridge between academia and practice opens up. --- ## What VŠB will focus on in its research Hercík stated that the research will focus on four main areas: ### 1. Safe human-robot collaboration The key question that every company considering deploying a humanoid in manufacturing or at an event is asking itself today: **what if the robot moves unexpectedly?** Safe HRI (Human-Robot Interaction) is a standard academic discipline, but humanoids add two new layers: - bipedal movement (the robot can collapse unexpectedly) - anthropomorphic appearance (people behave differently towards it than towards a cobot) Czech industry will need this knowledge at the moment when humanoids begin to appear on production floors. ### 2. Integration into industrial operations The Smart Factory laboratory is already an established research hub at VŠB. Adding a humanoid means that students and doctoral candidates will test **specific scenarios** — material handling, cooperation with human operators, integration with existing robotic lines. This is not theory. This is R&D from which, in 2–3 years, graduates capable of deploying a humanoid in a real company will emerge. ### 3. Cybersecurity of robotic systems An often overlooked area. A humanoid robot is essentially **a computer with 35 kg of physical actuation**. A cyberattack on a robot in operation can cause physical harm — from damage to equipment to injury to people. VŠB has a strong cybersecurity school in Ostrava (CESNET, IT4Innovations), and combining it with a humanoid makes deep research sense. ### 4. New course: Humanoid Robotics in Industrial Practice The university is opening a new course focused directly on working with humanoids in an industrial context. This is the kind of curricular step that has so far practically not existed in Czechia. For students of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, there will be space to get hands-on with technology that will be commonplace in their professional lives. --- ## Funding: the Just Transition Operational Programme The purchase of the robot is covered by the [Just Transition Operational Programme](https://www.opst.cz/) within the **Refresh** project. This is interesting for several reasons: - **OPST is an instrument for restructuring coal regions** — the Moravian-Silesian Region is among the priority areas - Investment in robotics and AI is perceived as **strategic diversification** away from heavy industry - The Refresh project in the Moravian-Silesian Region envisages a whole range of follow-up activities — the humanoid robot is just the tip of the iceberg For Czech academia, this means that **humanoid robotics now has an official European source of funding**. Universities that want to catch up with the pace of China, the USA and Japan have a real path to do so. --- ## ROBOTio commentary: academia and commerce go in parallel At [ROBOTio](https://robotio.cz) we operate a Czech marketplace for humanoid robots — from Unitree G1 through Tesla Optimus to Boston Dynamics Atlas. Our perspective is different from VŠB's: - **VŠB:** research, teaching, long-term capacity budget, slow but deep progress - **ROBOTio:** commercial deployment of humanoids at corporate events, event marketing and PR projects — immediate ROI, short cycle, virality Both paths are important and complement each other. VŠB is educating a generation of graduates who will understand how to safely deploy a humanoid in manufacturing. ROBOTio, meanwhile, is showing specific companies **what a humanoid robot can do for brand experience right now** — without waiting 5 years, without a CZK 1.5 million investment, without their own laboratory. An example from last week: **[KÄRCHER at Vnitroblock in Prague](https://robotio.cz/case-study/karcher-tanecni-vystoupeni-vnitroblok-praha)**. Our robot R.U.D.A. danced with professional dancers from Taneční sektor at a corporate event. Spontaneous applause in the middle of the routine, 100% of the audience filming on their phones, viral content across four social networks. For the client KÄRCHER, a moment was created that they would otherwise have had to buy for tens of millions in a TV commercial. Academia and commerce are not competitors. They are two sides of the same coin. **Without academic research there will be no safe, robust and integrated robotics. Without commercial deployment there will be no demand to finance further innovation.** --- ## What the VŠB-TUO announcement means for the Czech robotics scene Let us summarise it in points that matter in practice: 1. **The Czech academic sector is beginning to invest in humanoids.** VŠB-TUO is the first, but not the last. ČVUT, VUT Brno, MFF UK and other universities are watching and will come forward with their own steps within 12–24 months. 2. **European funding exists.** The Just Transition Operational Programme and other EU instruments cover investment in robotics. 3. **Demand for education is emerging.** The new course "Humanoid Robotics in Industrial Practice" is the first swallow. Within 5 years there will be a graduate on the market who can work with a humanoid robot **and wants a good salary for it**. 4. **Companies should start taking an interest.** If your business is considering a humanoid in manufacturing, marketing or service operations, **the academic scene is now open to cooperation**. VŠB wants a consortium across universities and commerce — that is an open offer. 5. **Czech industry has a chance not to be left behind.** If you invest in a pilot project today, in 3 years you will have a *competitive advantage* over competitors who waited. --- ## Conclusion **CZK 1.5 million, 131 cm, 35 kg, made in China, installed in Ostrava.** These four numbers and facts mark an important moment for the Czech robotics scene. VŠB-TUO is not the first company or the first university to acquire a humanoid today — but it is the first **Czech university** to have done so officially, transparently and with a strategic plan for long-term investment. At ROBOTio we are cheering them on. And we add our perspective from the commercial side: if you want to know what a humanoid robot can do for your company today — from a trade fair stand through a corporate event to an innovation project — [write to us](https://robotio.cz/kontakt). We will show you specific use cases from current implementations. And if you want to see what a humanoid looks like in action, take a look at the [KÄRCHER × R.U.D.A. case study at Vnitroblock](https://robotio.cz/case-study/karcher-tanecni-vystoupeni-vnitroblok-praha). The applause in the middle of the dance routine speaks for itself. --- **Source:** iDNES.cz, [Ostrava's VŠB presented its humanoid robot](https://www.idnes.cz/ostrava/zpravy/vsb-tuo-univerzita-vlastni-humanoidni-robot-predstaveni.A260520_935228_ostrava-zpravy_pjen) (20 May 2026). **I am interested in a robot:** [Rental](/pronajem-robota) · [Case studies](/case-study) · [WhatsApp +420 602 486 486](https://wa.me/420602486486)

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VŠB-TUO Ostrava has its first humanoid robot — a Czech university enters the era of humanoids

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