Awesome Robots

Gadget artist Dr. Katsumoto Yuichiro demonstrates a couple of intriguing robot designs which can shape-shift themselves using a combination of telescoping arms and hinges. The first video shows a cube configuration that turns itself inside out, while the second features triangles that can flip themselves over.

Shane from Stuff Made Here had a big wall in his workshop that he needed to paint. But rather than get out the rollers himself, he spent more than a month engineering and fabricating a robot to do the work for him. But this thing doesn’t just paint a flat color; it outputs multi-color images like a giant inkjet printer.

Boston Dynamics programmed one of its nimble Spot robots to mimic the dance moves of Mick Jagger. But that’s not all. Spot is soon joined by the other members of the Robot Stones to replicate the music video for their classic hit Start Me Up.

The sheer amount of trash floating in our oceans and waterways is staggering. To help TeamSeas reach its goal of removing 30 million pounds of trash by January 1, 2022, Mark Rober challenged Mr. Beast to see if an army of humans or trash-gobbling robot boat could remove more trash in the same amount of time.

The Braun S9 shaver is pretty slick looking as electric razors go. But even if you squint really hard, it’s hard to envision this thing turning into a mech. But model maker RAY Studio used his imagination and crafting skills to transform this $300 groomer into a detailed figure inspired by War Machine from the Iron Man series.

A whole lot of people died in Squid Game. But would it have been any better if the eliminated contestants were robots instead? Shutter Authority had a little CGI fun in Blender and replaced the humans with robots in the iconic Red Light, Green Light sequence. Will WALL-E make it to the finish line?

There are robots out there that can walk on two legs and drones that can fly. But Leonardo can do both, using its rotors to help it balance while walking. It can even skateboard and slackline. Veritasium takes a look at this unusual hybrid robot being developed by engineers at the Aerospace Robotics and Control Lab at Caltech.

CNC plasma cutters are big and expensive, but this tabletop robot lets anyone add a computer-controlled metal cutter to their workshop. While it can be used with CAD software, it requires no external computer for operation. Its arm can also be used to trace cutting templates. It can cut an area up to 26” x 15”. Plasma torch not included.

Wheels are good at maneuvering vehicles over most surfaces, but they’re not always great at climbing irregular or rough obstacles. Engineer James Bruton fabricated these unusual “Pedrail” wheels that use a system of articulated “legs” and “feet” to roll and walk over uneven terrain. They look cool, but are they practical?

Stellar Factory’s imaginative deck of cards takes us inside a top-secret facility run by robots. The face cards are illustrated with robots performing tasks like testing games and printing playing cards, while the rest of the deck is embellished with binary code and circuit traces.

Joseph Fifelski’s science fiction short film tells the story of a mechanic and a humanoid robot who arrives at his barn in search of a fix before she is shut down permanently. While Roy certainly owes a debt to Blade Runner, it also stands on its own as a story about compassion in the face of despair.

A young engineer named Burke McGabe got it in his head to build something totally unnecessary but nonetheless entertaining. What looks like an ordinary wall clock is designed to automatically fall off the wall any time he looks at it to check the time. It’s seen better days after all of its crashes.

We’ve seen Boston Dynamics‘ ATLAS robot evolve over the years to become incredibly agile. Now learn about the technology that makes this impressive humanoid work from the engineers who built him. Like any good science and engineering challenge, failure is part of the learning process.

Boston Dynamics continues to refine its ATLAS humanoid robot, which can now perform complicated actions like running through a parkour course at full speed. This is a big improvement over the robot’s earlier gymnastics, in which ATLAS appeared much less confident. We want to see an all-robot Olympics some day.

Traditional conveyor belts can move items along a single axis. But Cellumation’s unique system can shuffle items around in any direction. It uses a series of hexagonal modules, each of which has three sets of wheels. Its controller and software can then be programmed to shuffle and arrange a payload in any pattern.

Want to play some basketball, but don’t have a court to play on? The Q came up with a version of the game you can play on a tabletop. Players each control a cable-driven robot arm to pick up mini basketballs and drop them through their opponent’s hoop. It’s not as slick as Toyota’s robot, but it’s a lot cheaper.

A while back, we met a funny-looking robot known as Cassie. Developed by the OSU Dynamic Robotics Laboratory and Agility Robotics, the bipedal robot can walk and run ostrich-style. Her human masters have now figured out a way for Cassie to run a 5K on a single charge. The research could lead to improved efficiency for delivery robots.

Setting up dominoes can be time-consuming and requires a steady hand. We’ve seen robots that can stand one domino at a time. Mark Rober and his engineering pals presents DOM – a custom-built robot that can set up 300 dominoes at a time. The robot arm and Hot Wheels track loading system is equally awesome.

Seletti’s Gold My Robot adds a bit of wonder to any room. Designers Selab + Alessandro Zambelli created this playful decorative accessory inspired by robot toys from the 1950s and 1960s. But instead of being made out of metal, this robot is made from porcelain with a gleaming golden finish. Measures 11.8″ tall.

After humanity has met its end, what will happen to the machines we leave behind? Michael Dockery’s eerie animated short film imagines just that, as robots roam a desolated Earth, left to their own devices, endlessly downloading old information and destroying their own kind as they search for a purpose.

Climbing a tall and curved object like a flagpole or a tree isn’t an easy task. Brick Experiment Channel tested out three designs for LEGO robots that perform the task and demonstrates the physics at play when creating a vehicle that can scale vertical and cylindrical objects. We were totally transfixed by the spinny third robot.

Penn & Teller, the robots are coming for your jobs. Mario the Maker Magician created this charming cardboard robot that can perform simple magic tricks, like making a foil ball disappear. Automabot’s shades at the end are a nice touch. Watch more robot magic tricks here.

Robots are increasingly being used in factories and warehouses, performing the menial and repetitive tasks that humans no longer need to do. Tom Scott takes us inside a UK warehouse filled with robots from the Ocado Group, each working in harmony to select and prep groceries for delivery to customers.