Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.

Humanoids 2024: 22–24 November 2024, NANCY, FRANCE

Enjoy today’s videos!

Swiss-Mile’s robot (which is really any robot that meets the hardware requirement to run their software) is faster than “most humans.” So what does that mean, exactly?

The winner here is Riccardo Rancan, who doesn’t look like he was trying especially hard—he’s the world champion in high-speed urban orienteering, which is a sport that I did not know existed but sounds pretty awesome.

[ Swiss-Mile ]

Thanks, Marko!

Oh good, we’re building giant fruit fly robots now.

But seriously, this is useful and important research because understanding the relationship between a nervous system and a bunch of legs can only be helpful as we ask more and more of legged robotic platforms.

[ Paper ]

Thanks, Clarus!

Watching humanoids get up off the ground will never not be fascinating.

[ Fourier ]

The Kepler Forerunner K2 represents the Gen 5.0 robot model, showcasing a seamless integration of the humanoid robot’s cerebral, cerebellar, and high-load body functions.

[ Kepler ]

Diffusion Forcing combines the strength of full-sequence diffusion models (like SORA) and next-token models (like LLMs), acting as either or a mix at sampling time for different applications without retraining.

[ MIT ]

Testing robot arms for space is no joke.

[ GITAI ]

Welcome to the Modular Robotics Lab (ModLab), a subgroup of the GRASP Lab and the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department at the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Prof. Mark Yim.

[ ModLab ]

This is much more amusing than it has any right to be.

[ Westwood Robotics ]

Let’s go for a walk with Adam at IROS’24!

[ PNDbotics ]

From Reachy 1 in 2023 to our newly launched Reachy 2, our grippers have been designed to enhance precision and dexterity in object manipulation. Some of the models featured in the video are prototypes used for various tests, showing the innovation behind the scenes.

[ Pollen ]

I’m not sure how else you’d efficiently spray the tops of trees? Drones seem like a no-brainer here.

[ SUIND ]

Presented at ICRA40 in Rotterdam, we show the challenges faced by mobile manipulation platforms in the field. We at CSIRO Robotics are working steadily towards a collaborative approach to tackle such challenging technical problems.

[ CSIRO ]

ABB is best known for arms, but it looks like they’re exploring AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) for warehouse operations now.

[ ABB ]

Howie Choset, Lu Li, and Victoria Webster-Wood of the Manufacturing Futures Institute explain their work to create specialized sensors that allow robots to “feel” the world around them.

[ CMU ]

Columbia Engineering Lecture Series in AI: “How Could Machines Reach Human-Level Intelligence?” by Yann LeCun.

Animals and humans understand the physical world, have common sense, possess a persistent memory, can reason, and can plan complex sequences of subgoals and actions. These essential characteristics of intelligent behavior are still beyond the capabilities of today’s most powerful AI architectures, such as Auto-Regressive LLMs.
I will present a cognitive architecture that may constitute a path towards human-level AI. The centerpiece of the architecture is a predictive world model that allows the system to predict the consequences of its actions. and to plan sequences of actions that that fulfill a set of objectives. The objectives may include guardrails that guarantee the system’s controllability and safety. The world model employs a Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture (JEPA) trained with self-supervised learning, largely by observation.

[ Columbia ]

Eliminating this pernicious policy should be on the Trump administration's first week to-do list.

Hours after Donald Trump wins the most conclusive mandate in 40 years, Mitch McConnell engineers a coup against his agenda by calling early leadership elections in the senate.

Even though that perception is partly the creation of right-wing media, the Democrats surely need to hone their identity.

PlayStation 5 Pro is out, and with plenty of availability, scalpers are shifting the £700 console at a loss and turning their attention to a key accessory instead

Black Ops 6 is here, and it's Black Ops 2's anniversary, so what better time than to rank the Call of Duty Black Ops titles? Here's our ranking of every mainline version.

Fortnite fans are going wild after Epic Games announced it's bringing back the original version of its battle royale as Fortnite OG as a permanent addition to the game.

People keep predicting that each wave of new technology will mean humans can put their feet up. It hasn't happened yet. Some economists and anthropologists who study the subject say even with the arrival of artificial intelligence, humans will remain integral to making the world go round.

House Republicans on Tuesday demanded that each member of President Biden's cabinet preserve all relevant documents and communications, a move that signals future investigations into the Biden administration.

LIVERPOOL midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum will be pivotal for Jurgen Klopp at Manchester City..

… the opening round of the Davis Cup World Group on hard court … . Kyrgios led Australia to the Davis Cup semi-finals this year, while Zverev ….

ALEXIS SANCHEZ returns to former club Arsenal tonight - and Manchester United fans are desperate to see him celebrate if he scores at the Emirates..

If rumours are true and this one should be, I started it, we have a special edition of the Weekend show where we talk about the evolution of the role of the CIO with two incredible CIOs as the CIO Association of Canada turns 20. Don’t miss it.  MUSIC UP Can HP make you love […]

Archaeologists have discovered a "remarkable" section of one of Britain's most important Roman roads in southeast London.

A mum-of-four was tragically found dead at her home following a fire.

Ryzen and Epyc chips have two main issues; L3 cache latency, and 'preferred core' tech.

New research led by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, Karolinska Institute and Linköping University provides a landscape view of the human sense of touch.

The post Neuroscientists Identify 16 Neuronal Types Involved in Human Sense of Touch appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

The identification of a new hominin group called Denisovans was one of the most exciting discoveries in human evolution in the last decade.

The post Several Denisovan Populations Introgressed into Modern Humans Multiple Times: Study appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

The Renaissance artist Michelangelo had carried out human dissections, which may have led him to include women with breast cancer in some of his pieces

A bird flu virus that has been circulating in dairy cattle for months has now been found in a pig in the US for the first time, raising the risk of the virus evolving to become more dangerous to people

Germany has reported a decline in outbreaks for 2023, but more people were sick than in the previous year. In 2023, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) received 190 reports of foodborne outbreaks that caused 2,248 illnesses, 283 hospitalizations, and... Continue Reading

Human bird flu has hospitalized a Canadian teenager at British Columbia Children’s Hospital. He is the first person in Canada to test positive for the bird flu virus. The B.C. teen likely acquired the virus from exposure to a bird or animal. B.C. Health said the infection is a rare... Continue Reading

Myah Saakwa-Mante, a 20-year-old British university student, was caught at Los Angeles International Airport and arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle T-shirts soaked with methamphetamine.

A man from Eugene, Oregon, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes on Tuesday after he spray-painted antisemitic graffiti on a synagogue in 2023 and 2024.

Authorities arrested a man accused of strangling a woman outside a Times Square hotel who later died from her injuries, police said Tuesday.

The Canadian women's soccer team was implicated in a drone scandal this past summer. But, an investigation determined drone use against opponents, predated the Paris Olympics.

Humane first reported overheating problems with the portable charger in June.

The storm decimated a region rich with dozens of species already struggling with habitat loss and disease

Due for a mani or pedi? No need for a salon when you have one of these DIY gel nail kits.

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Mark Stibbe was one of John Smyth's victims. He's a former vicar and is now an author.

Manufacturing efficiency has always been a priority. As competition grows, optimizing every aspect of production becomes critical. Manufacturers turn to experts to make the right improvements and introduce systems that boost overall performance. One key area where many businesses seek help is through Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). MES consultants play a pivotal role in achieving […]

The post The Role of MES Consultants in Streamlining Manufacturing Operations appeared first on Chart Attack.

In today’s complex business environment, organizations rely heavily on external vendors for essential services and resources. Managing these relationships effectively is crucial for operational efficiency, cost control, and risk management. To achieve this, many companies turn to Vendor Management Software to streamline vendor interactions, ensuring that the right processes and tools are in place for […]

The post Optimizing Vendor Portfolio with Vendor Management Software appeared first on Chart Attack.

From assembling delicate electronics to constructing safety-critical aerospace components, the margin for error has shrunk to almost nothing. To meet these rigorous standards, the manufacturing industry increasingly relies on robotic precision. Modern robotics, equipped with advanced sensors, grippers, and AI, allow manufacturers to complete intricate tasks with extraordinary accuracy. Technological Innovations Driving Robotic Precision Today’s […]

The post Robotic Precision in Manufacturing: Achieving High Accuracy for Complex Tasks appeared first on Chart Attack.

Trump plans to repeal Biden's 2023 order and levy tariffs on GPU imports.

On Nov. 19, join Benj Edwards and Simon Willison's live YouTube chat about the "Great Bing Chat Fiasco of 2023."

The new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday. The judge said the law is "unconstitutional on its face."

Authorities say Nicholas Hamlett killed a man in Tennessee in an attempt to steal his identity, and reported it to police as a bear attack. He was arrested in South Carolina after a weekslong manhunt.

Donald Trump and the Republicans have a mandate for new economic policy.

The post Breitbart Business Digest: The Trump Economic Mandate appeared first on Breitbart.

President-elect Donald Trump announced that he has picked businessman and real estate investor Steven Witkoff to serve as Special Envoy to the Middle East.

The post President-Elect Donald Trump Picks Businessman Steven Witkoff to Be Special Envoy to Middle East appeared first on Breitbart.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) weighed in on reports regarding President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state.

The post Fetterman Calls Rubio ‘Strong Choice’ as Trump Reportedly Considers Him for Secretary of State appeared first on Breitbart.

Sam Trabucco, the former Alameda Research co-CEO, will forfeit a 53-foot yacht and forgo $70 million worth of claims in a proposed settlement with the FTX bankruptcy estate.

The post Sam Bankman-Fried Henchman to Forfeit $70 Million, Yacht in Proposed Settlement appeared first on Breitbart.