In the ever-evolving world of robotics, each week brings a plethora of breathtaking innovations and developments. Hosted by IEEE Spectrum Robotics, the much-anticipated “Video Friday” offers a curated selection of fascinating updates from the industry. The segment also continuously updates a comprehensive calendar of upcoming robotics events, such as the Humanoids 2024 conference set to take place in Nancy, France, from November 22 to 24.
Leading the lineup is Boston Dynamics’ electrifying Atlas, which has once again captured the spotlight with its latest performance. The robot impressed audiences worldwide by executing tasks autonomously, all while dressed festively as a hot dog for Halloween—a whimsical touch that didn’t compromise its efficiency.
Meanwhile, Aldebaran is about to unveil the seventh iteration of its NAO robot, promising exciting enhancements. In a similar vein, festive cheers echoed from ANYbotics and Clearpath Robotics, both offering their spirited Halloween greetings through gripping demonstrations.
Compagnie La Machine’s recent performance in Toulouse presented yet another unique spectacle: an “urban opera” featuring imposing, fantastical robots that captivated onlookers, adding a cultural dimension to the growing role of robots in entertainment and artistic expression.
The groundbreaking robotics advancements continue with Deep Robotics showcasing an impressive dismount of its DR01, and a unique demonstration of cobot juggling by Daniel Simu. These feats underscore the expanding versatility and adaptability of robotic systems as they evolve towards more complex tasks.
The Environmental Robotics Lab is pushing the boundaries of aerial drone technology. Their focus on creating reconfigurable multirotors utilizes innovative soft, multistable composite laminate airframes, bridging the gap between stability and energy-efficient morphological reconfiguration.
Tokyo Robotics’ introduction of the more agile Torobo impresses with its lighter build, enhancing speed capabilities such as ball pitching. Available in Japan by March 2025 and worldwide by October 2025, the new Torobo promises to amplify productivity in various applications.
In the ever-evolving world of robotics, each week brings a plethora of breathtaking innovations and developments. Hosted by IEEE Spectrum Robotics, the much-anticipated “Video Friday” offers a curated selection of fascinating updates from the industry. The segment also continuously updates a comprehensive calendar of upcoming robotics events, such as the Humanoids 2024 conference set to take place in Nancy, France, from November 22 to 24.
Leading the lineup is Boston Dynamics’ electrifying Atlas, which has once again captured the spotlight with its latest performance. The robot impressed audiences worldwide by executing tasks autonomously, all while dressed festively as a hot dog for Halloween—a whimsical touch that didn’t compromise its efficiency.
Meanwhile, Aldebaran is about to unveil the seventh iteration of its NAO robot, promising exciting enhancements. In a similar vein, festive cheers echoed from ANYbotics and Clearpath Robotics, both offering their spirited Halloween greetings through gripping demonstrations.
Compagnie La Machine’s recent performance in Toulouse presented yet another unique spectacle: an “urban opera” featuring imposing, fantastical robots that captivated onlookers, adding a cultural dimension to the growing role of robots in entertainment and artistic expression.
The groundbreaking robotics advancements continue with Deep Robotics showcasing an impressive dismount of its DR01, and a unique demonstration of cobot juggling by Daniel Simu. These feats underscore the expanding versatility and adaptability of robotic systems as they evolve towards more complex tasks.
The Environmental Robotics Lab is pushing the boundaries of aerial drone technology. Their focus on creating reconfigurable multirotors utilizes innovative soft, multistable composite laminate airframes, bridging the gap between stability and energy-efficient morphological reconfiguration.
Tokyo Robotics’ introduction of the more agile Torobo impresses with its lighter build, enhancing speed capabilities such as ball pitching. Available in Japan by March 2025 and worldwide by October 2025, the new Torobo promises to amplify productivity in various applications.
Continuing the trend of pushing technological boundaries, Robot Era has presented a robotic hand touted as ideal for manipulation research. This improvement highlights the relentless pursuit of perfection in robotic dexterity and precision.
Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot is making waves in the logistics realm. Designed to unload boxes efficiently from trailers and shipping containers, Stretch has been swiftly integrated into operations at Arvato’s facility in Louisville, Kentucky. The technology liberates warehouse staff from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more critical functions.
Further afield, NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured a stunning celestial sequence, using its Mastcam-Z to photograph Phobos, one of Mars’ moons, as it gracefully passed across the Sun.
In educational realms, students from Howard University, Morehouse College, and Berea College joined forces with University of Michigan’s robotics department in an innovative learning initiative. The Robotics 102 course, part of a distributed teaching collaborative, aims to provide access to cutting-edge robotics education, regardless of a student’s home institution.
Another highlight is the Robotics and Automation Summer School at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where students immerse themselves in advanced research spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous systems.
Finally, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute’s Anirudha Majumdar from Princeton University held a thought-provoking seminar titled “Robots That Know When They Don’t Know.” This event delved into the critical topic of quantifying uncertainty in machine learning, an area essential for ensuring the safe deployment of robotic technologies in unpredictable environments.
As these stories illustrate, the robotics industry continues to break new ground, hinting at an exciting trajectory for the future where robots become even more integrated into everyday life.
Continuing the trend of pushing technological boundaries, Robot Era has presented a robotic hand touted as ideal for manipulation research. This improvement highlights the relentless pursuit of perfection in robotic dexterity and precision.
Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot is making waves in the logistics realm. Designed to unload boxes efficiently from trailers and shipping containers, Stretch has been swiftly integrated into operations at Arvato’s facility in Louisville, Kentucky. The technology liberates warehouse staff from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more critical functions.
Further afield, NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured a stunning celestial sequence, using its Mastcam-Z to photograph Phobos, one of Mars’ moons, as it gracefully passed across the Sun.
In educational realms, students from Howard University, Morehouse College, and Berea College joined forces with University of Michigan’s robotics department in an innovative learning initiative. The Robotics 102 course, part of a distributed teaching collaborative, aims to provide access to cutting-edge robotics education, regardless of a student’s home institution.
Another highlight is the Robotics and Automation Summer School at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where students immerse themselves in advanced research spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous systems.
Finally, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute’s Anirudha Majumdar from Princeton University held a thought-provoking seminar titled “Robots That Know When They Don’t Know.” This event delved into the critical topic of quantifying uncertainty in machine learning, an area essential for ensuring the safe deployment of robotic technologies in unpredictable environments.
As these stories illustrate, the robotics industry continues to break new ground, hinting at an exciting trajectory for the future where robots become even more integrated into everyday life.