site.btaBulgarian INSAIT Researchers Recognized at Global Robotics Forum in Seoul

A team from the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) at Sofia University was one of just two teams approved to take part in RoboArena, an international challenge evaluating the latest AI models for robotics, the institute said on Friday. The event, organized by researchers from Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and other leading institutions, was held within the framework of the CoRL 2025 conference in Seoul.

The INSAIT model delivered outstanding results, outperforming even the most powerful existing solutions trained on ten times more data, including the pi0 model developed by Physical Intelligence, a Stanford spin-off backed by Jeff Bezos and OpenAI. The institute is expected to present its model officially soon.

In parallel, INSAIT unveiled MotoVLA, a new approach enabling robots to learn not only from pre-prepared datasets but also by observing the real environment and video, paving the way for more flexible and versatile robotic systems.

The achievement was accomplished by researchers Aleksandar Spiridonov, Nikolay Nikolov and Giuliano Albanese, who represented Bulgaria at the key global forum.

The results demonstrate that through INSAIT, Bulgaria is establishing itself as a significant contributor to global advances in artificial intelligence for robotics, the statement noted.

INSAIT is the first institute of its kind in Eastern Europe to provide research conditions matching those of leading Western universities and institutes. It is structured as a special unit of Sofia University and was established in partnership with Switzerland’s ETH Zurich and EPFL, two of the world’s top technological universities. The institute is guided and advised by leading scientists from leading US, European and Israeli universities and research laboratories. INSAIT’s primary focus is scientific excellence: conducting world-class research, attracting outstanding international scholars, and training the next generation of students and technology leaders.