The U.S. Army is hosting an “xTechHumanoid competition” in the hopes that it identifies solutions that advance its fielded militarized humanoid capabilities. The competition comes with prize money and the potential for contract awards or agreements of up to $1.25 million.

Problem

The DoD expects that eventually it will have to operate against technologically advanced, numerically superior “near-peer adversaries” in complex and lethal operational environments. Militarized humanoid capabilities, when matured, should provide safer, more cost-effective, resource-efficient warfighting capabilities that augment and operate alongside (rather than replace) warfighters.

Opportunity

As a result, the DOD is looking to understand “world-class” technologies being developed commercially; integrate non-traditional innovators into the U.S. DoD ecosystem; and provide expertise and feedback to accelerate and transition technologies of interest.

Awards

The Army intends to award up to $490,000 in cash prizes. Up to ten finalists will receive a cash prize of $25,000 each, and an opportunity to participate in a live experimentation event with a panel Army and DOD subject matter experts in the late summer of 2026. Additional cash prizes and awards are available, as are the potential for contracts.

Functional Areas

Among the areas where the prototype militarized humanoids might be employed for force augmentation are:

• Security — For facilities, check points and lines of communication

• Gap Crossings — Or moving materials, bridge development, etc.

• Obstacle Reconnaissance — Including clearing and reduction

• Hazardous Removal — Including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive

• Forward Recon — And surveillance (dismounted, mounted)

And more, including fire fighting and other capabilities.

Submissions

Use the Army’s online submission form here.

Deadline

Submission deadline is Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. ET (basically midnight in Israel)

Next Steps / More Information

Lots of resources are available including:

• A full copy of the request for information

• A white paper template to use

• Evaluation criteria

Difficulty Level

Low. Simple submission form.

Questions

Questions can be sent to usarmy.xtech@army.mil. Or you can reach out to Scott Cohen of The CET Sandbox at scott@cetsandbox.com.