Video Friday Highlights Robots, Including a Playful Take on Decommissioning

At a glance

IEEE Spectrum gathered robot videos from the past week. The roundup included a product selling plastic balls for $1,000, a linear motor that moves like a thread, and a humanoid robot that learns from human demonstrations. It also listed upcoming robotics conferences.

Key points

1. 1

   A humanoid robot (a robot with a shape close to a human's) learned to carry boxes with its hands and feet by watching videos of people doing the task.

2. 2

   MIT researchers created SANDO, a navigation system that helps robots find safe paths while avoiding moving obstacles.

3. 3

   NC State University researchers presented a soft underwater robot that swims in three different ways using two air pressure chambers.

Why it matters

It offers a quick view of how robots are advancing in handling objects and moving like people in unfamiliar places.