[International Competition] EBiM Benchmark 2026 — Embodied Bimanual Manipulation Challenge Now Open
The EBiM (Embodied Bimanual Manipulation) Benchmark international competition has launched! The simulation phase runs from June 29 to August 3, 2026, followed by real-robot validation in Hamburg, Munich, Pittsburgh, and Shanghai. Prizes up to $5,250 per task — academic and industry teams worldwide are welcome.
![[International Competition] EBiM Benchmark 2026 — Embodied Bimanual Manipulation Challenge Now Open](/image/news/EBiM_Benchmark_2026.png)
The EBiM Benchmark (Embodied Bimanual Manipulation Benchmark) is a globally coordinated robotics benchmark initiative, organized by a multidisciplinary committee spanning four continents, including Universität Hamburg, Carnegie Mellon University, and Tsinghua University. Its goal is to close the gap between laboratory benchmarks and real-world robot deployment, with a focus on sim-to-real transfer.
- Official website: https://ebim-benchmark.github.io/
- Eligibility: open to academic and industry teams worldwide — no prior experience with a specific hardware platform required
- Competition hardware: Mobile FR3 Duo bimanual robot (provided by Franka Robotics)
Four Key Research Themes
- Sim-to-Real Transfer
- Cross-Site Reproducibility
- Foundation & VLA Model Evaluation
- Contact-Rich Manipulation
Three Competition Tasks
- Cable Routing
- Deformable Material Handling — Heat Pad Placement
- Assistive Living & Feeding
Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Phase I simulation benchmark opens | June 29, 2026 |
| Phase I submission deadline | August 3, 2026 |
| Simulation results announced | August 8, 2026 |
| Phase II real-robot validation | August 10–19, 2026 (team runs); August 20–31, 2026 (organizer evaluation) |
| Phase III workshop & awards | Venue and date TBD |
Phase II real-robot validation will take place at sites across four continents: Hamburg, Munich, Pittsburgh, and Shanghai.
Prizes
Each of the three tasks is awarded independently, with prizes worth up to $5,250 per task:
- 1st place: $1,500 cash + Franka Robotics voucher (worth $3,750) + trophy
- 2nd place: $1,000 cash + voucher (worth $2,500)
- 3rd place: $500 cash + voucher (worth $1,250)
How to Participate
Register via the Competition page on the official website, and join the GitHub and Discord communities for the latest updates and technical support. The simulation phase submission deadline is August 3, 2026 — interested teams are encouraged to sign up soon!