The latest Video Friday roundup from IEEE Spectrum highlights major strides in humanoid robot manufacturing from UBTECH, alongside innovative mobility experiments and laboratory automation systems from international research institutions. According to UBTECH, its smart factory production line has reached an output rate of one humanoid robot every 10 minutes, scaling total production from 1,000 to 10,000 units in less than nine months.
Bio-Inspired Locomotion: NYU Tandon's WorMa Robot
In novel locomotion research, a team at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering introduced WorMa, an undulatory robot that shifts its center of mass by pumping water between its head and tail. On inclines, concentrating water in the head improves surface traction, allowing the robot to climb slopes of up to 19.5 degrees while reducing the cost of transport by at least 33% compared to alternative configurations. To overcome 15-centimeter-high steps, WorMa coordinates dynamic weight distribution between its extremities to generate effective thrust and anchoring leverage.
Underwater Quadrupedal Robotics at NTNU
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Robots Lab at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) showcased an underwater quadruped robot design. The team utilized waterproof motor enclosures machined from polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic, paired with O-rings and dynamic shaft seals. A closed-loop attitude control architecture formulated on the Special Orthogonal group SO(3) enables the robot to precisely track roll, pitch, and yaw setpoints during test tank operations.
Autonomous Optics Laboratories and Field Deployments
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), engineers developed an automated optical laboratory system. Utilizing a robotic manipulator to position and align QR-coded optical components such as mirrors and lenses, the platform autonomously configures and dismantles laser measurement setups on demand without direct human handling.
IEEE Spectrum also highlighted several other notable robotics initiatives:
* Digit 5 by Agility Robotics: A bipedal platform built with an enhanced focus on industrial safety. * Ugo Nova: A semi-humanoid robot deployed for industrial and facility management tasks in Japan. * DEEP Robotics Wheeled-Quadruped: A hybrid platform deployed to assist in desertification monitoring and control. * RoboRoyale Project: An EU-funded initiative leveraging micro-robotics and AI to monitor and support honeybee colony behavior.