Video Friday is your weekly selection of amazing robotics videos collected by your friends ieee spectrum Robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your programs for inclusion.
IROS 2025: 19-25 October 2025, Hangzhou, China
Enjoy today’s video!
Caltech’s Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) and the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates recently demonstrated X1, a multirobot system developed as part of a three-year collaboration between the two institutions. During the demo, M4, a multimodal robot developed by CAST, launches in drone-mode from behind the humanoid robot. It descends and transitions to driving mode and then back off as needed. The demonstration highlighted the kind of progress that is only possible when engineers from multiple institutions at the forefront of autonomous systems and technologies truly collaborate.
, Caltech Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies ,
spot robot Performs dynamic whole-body manipulation using a combination of reinforcement learning and sample-based control. The behavior shown in the video is completely autonomous, involving dynamic selection of contacts on the arms, legs and body, and coordination between manipulation and locomotor processes. The tire weighs 15 kilograms (33 lb), making its mass and inertial energy significant compared to the robot’s weight. An external motion capture system was used to simplify perception and an external computer connected over WiFi performed intensive computational operations.
Spot’s hand is stronger than I thought. Plus, the hand-to-hand cooperation is pretty wild.
, Institute of Robotics and AI ,
Figure 03 represents an unprecedented advancement in taking humanoid robots from experimental prototypes to deployable, scalable products. By uniting advanced perception and tactile intelligence with home-safe design and readiness for mass manufacturing, Figure has created a platform capable of learning, adopting, and working in both home and business settings. Designed for the large-scale Helix, the home and the world, Figure 03 establishes the foundation for true general purpose robotics – capable of changing the way people live and work.
The kid and the dog in those clips irritate me a lot.
, Shape ,
Researchers have invented a new super agile robot that can deftly change shape due to its amorphous characteristics, similar to the popular Marvel anti-hero Venom. The researchers used a special material called electro-morphing gel (E-MG), which allows robots to exhibit shape-changing functions through the manipulation of electric fields from ultralightweight electrodes, allowing them to bend, stretch, and move in ways that were previously difficult or impossible.
Of course it’s very preliminary, but I like the idea of four-legged robots physically assisting each other in overcoming obstacles like this.
, Robot Perception and Learning Lab ,
Have we reached peak mobile humanoids yet?
, unitary ,
Dynamic manipulation, such as tossing or throwing objects by robots, has recently attracted attention as a novel paradigm to speed up logistics operations. However, the focus has primarily been on the object’s landing location, regardless of its final orientation. In this work, we present a method that enables robots to accurately “throw-flip” objects into the desired landing pose (position and orientation).
, Lasa ,
I don’t care that much for “industry-oriented” quads. I care a lot about “rideable” quadrupeds.
, magiclab ,
I’m not at the point yet where I can trust any human around priceless ancient remains. Any humanoid, not just robotic.
, limx ,
This CMU RI seminar is from Matt Mason, Emeritus Professor at CMU, titled “A Manipulation Journey.”
This talk will revisit my career in manipulation research, focusing on projects that may provide some useful lessons for others. We’ll begin with my beginnings at the MIT AI Lab and my MS thesis, which is still my most cited work, then continue with my arrival at CMU, a discussion with Alan Newell, an exercise in imagining a coherent research program, and how that led to second and third childhoods. The conversation will conclude with some discussion of lessons learned.
, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute ,
Dr. Christian Hubicki highlights and explains the past year of humanoid robotics research and news.
ICRA@Over 40 excellent robotics discussions.
, ICRA@40 ,
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