Minas Liarokapis, CEO/CTO of Acumino and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, envisioned and successfully organized the 1st International Olympic Humanoid Robot Championship in Olympia, Greece. The choice of Olympia symbolically connected human excellence with robotics innovation, inspiring global collaboration and exploring the future of humanoid robots.
The event gathered robot-athletes and distinguished speakers in AI, humanoid robotics, prosthetics, neuroscience, UX design, industrial automation, geophysics, education and human-robot interaction from Australia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and New Zealand, showcasing the potential of advanced humanoid systems through talks, exhibitions, and athletic demonstrations.
Speakers
- Aadeel Akhtar (USA, PSYONIC) – CEO of PSYONIC, creator of the Ability Hand, the fastest prosthetic hand with touch sensation
- Dr. Joao Bimbo (Portugal, University of Lisbon) – Assistant Professor, expert in robotic grasping and teleoperation
- Hon Weng Chong (Australia, Cortical Labs) – CEO of Cortical Labs, merging AI and neuroscience with medical technology
- David Cleaves (Germany/Netherlands, argodesign) – Head of Creative, specialist in UX design for the automotive industry
- Prof. Gad El-Qady (Egypt, NRIAG) – Expert in applied geophysics, former president of NRIAG
- Katrin Jiewei (Switzerland, Swiss Future Institute) – CEO, AI community leader, board member, and academic
- Andra Keay (USA, Silicon Valley Robotics) – Director of SV Robotics, specialist in AI ethics and human-robot interaction
- Dr. Panagiotis Koustoumpardis (Greece, University of Patras) – Assistant Professor, founder of Robots@UP and educational robotics competitions
- Dr. Juxi Leitner (Australia, LYRO Robotics) – Co-founder of LYRO Robotics, expert in robotic manipulation
- Assoc. Prof. Minas Liarokapis (Greece/New Zealand, Acumino) – CEO/CTO of Acumino, founder of Open Bionics, expert in AI and dexterous robots
- Calliope Limneos-Papakosta (Greece, HRIAC) – Director of the Hellenic Research Institute of Alexandrian Civilization
- Adam Norton (USA, NERVE Center) – Co-Director of the NERVE Center, expert in robotics and standards
- Stefanie Manzinger (Germany, NVIDIA) – Senior Solutions Architect for industrial AI and robotics
- Prof. Luis Sentis (USA, UT Austin) – Human Centered Robotics Lab, co-founder of Apptronik Systems
- David Vivancos (Spain, Vivancos.com) – Serial entrepreneur in AI, VR, and neurotechnology
Acumino: Innovation in Industrial Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Beyond the Championship, Minas leads Acumino, a company developing AI-powered robots capable of performing complex and precise tasks in industries, healthcare, and logistics. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Auckland and Athens.
Backed by strategic investors Dionysios Panagiotopoulos (LDV Partners) and Nikos Kalliagkopoulos (Big Pi Ventures).
Acumino bridges the gap between human dexterity and robotic precision, addressing labor shortages, accelerating automation, and promoting a vision where humans and humanoid robots collaborate harmoniously.
Ms. Peppy with Minas Liarokapis,
organizer of the championship,
CEO/CTO of Acumino,
Associate Professor at the Aukland University & CLC friend
Participation of the CLC Educational Institute
CLC Educational Institute attended the Olympic Championship to learn and guide its students about future opportunities in robotics and AI.
Minas Liarokapis, a member of the CLC family, and Dionysios Panagiotopoulos, investor in Acumino & CLC alumnus, supported the team.
Other CLC family members attended too, including Dimitris Dimitriadis, Antonios Gkigakis, Stavros Tsompanidis and Konstantinos Stafylas —showing the global reach and networking power of the CLC Alumni & Friends Network.
Ms. Peppy and Mr. Ted with the CLC Alumni
Stavros Tsompanidis, Founder of PHEE
Konstantinos Stafylas, Fractional CFO of Startfins
Ms. Peppy with the CLC Alumni
Dimitris Dimitriadis, Staff AI Software Engineer Proxy Foods
Antonios Gkikakis, Postdoctoral Researcher
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
