# NimbRo wins ANA Avatar XPRIZE Immersive Telepresence Competition: Human-Centric Evaluation and Lessons Learned

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.12238 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.12238/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Aug 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Learning Human-to-Humanoid Real-Time Whole-Body Teleoperation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.04436/) (2024)
- [Enhancing the LLM-Based Robot Manipulation Through Human-Robot Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.14097/) (2024)
- [AhaRobot: A Low-Cost Open-Source Bimanual Mobile Manipulator for Embodied AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.10070/) (2025)
- [The Role of Embodiment in Intuitive Whole-Body Teleoperation for Mobile Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.03222/) (2025)
- [Towards Conscious Service Robots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.15198/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Robotic avatar systems can enable immersive telepresence with locomotion, manipulation, and communication capabilities. We present such an avatar system, based on the key components of immersive 3D visualization and transparent force-feedback telemanipulation. Our avatar robot features an anthropomorphic upper body with dexterous hands. The remote human operator drives the arms and fingers through an exoskeleton-based operator station, which provides force feedback both at the wrist and for each finger. The robot torso is mounted on a holonomic base, providing omnidirectional locomotion on flat floors, controlled using a 3D rudder device. Finally, the robot features a 6D movable head with stereo cameras, which stream images to a VR display worn by the operator. Movement latency is hidden using spherical rendering. The head also carries a telepresence screen displaying an animated image of the operator's face, enabling direct interaction with remote persons. Our system won the 10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition, which challenged teams to develop intuitive and immersive avatar systems that could be operated by briefly trained judges. We analyze our successful participation in the semifinals and finals and provide insight into our operator training and lessons learned. In addition, we evaluate our system in a user study that demonstrates its intuitive and easy usability.