Hydroplane Named Finalist in U.S. Army xTech Humanoid Competition

HYSKY Society
6 days ago
2 min read

LOS ANGELES (January 6, 2026) – Hydroplane is a finalist in the U.S. Army xTech Humanoid competition, a highly selective global Department of Defense initiative advancing next generation militarized humanoid systems designed to augment warfighters and reduce operational risk.

Following the evaluation process, Hydroplane is one of only 10 finalists selected from a global pool of entrants, chosen based on technical merit, scalability, and relevance to future Army operational needs.

Army xTech Humanoid Competition Finalists Awarded $25k

As a finalist, Hydroplane was awarded a $25,000 cash prize and will compete for an additional finalist cash prize and the potential opportunity to pursue a Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract.

“Being named a finalist in the Army xTech Humanoid competition is a testament to our modular and scalable architecture,” said Dr. Anita Sengupta, CEO of Hydroplane. “Our powerplant technology supports aviation electric propulsion and mobile power generation, demonstrating its ability to extend into humanoid robotic systems. We are excited to support the armed forces with mission-relevant energy solutions.”

Hydroplane previously received SBIR awards from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and was selected under the Army xTech 8 program.

All finalist teams will participate in a live prototype demonstration event scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. Additional details on the xTech Humanoid competition are available through the U.S. Army xTech program at: https://xtech.army.mil/competition/xtechhumanoid/

About Hydroplane

Founded by former NASA engineer Dr. Anita Sengupta, Hydroplane Ltd. is an advanced powerplant developer focused on energy-resilient propulsion and power systems for defense and aerospace applications. The company is developing a modular hydrogen fuel cell powerplant architecture designed for aviation electric propulsion, mobile power generation, and auxiliary power applications across crewed, uncrewed, and robotic platforms.

Built by a team of space program–trained engineers, Hydroplane’s technology is engineered for scalability, low acoustic signature, and mission adaptability. Hydroplane is a winner of the U.S. Army xTechSearch 8 competition and has successfully executed Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force.