IEEE Spectrum Video Friday: Robot Decommissioning Takes a Playful Turn

IEEE Spectrum's Video Friday is a weekly roundup of standout robotics videos, curated by the IEEE Spectrum robotics team. The publication also posts a calendar of upcoming robotics events and invites readers to submit their own events for inclusion. Each edition features a curated mix of research demos, product teasers, and playful experiments from labs and companies worldwide.

Upcoming events include CoRL 2026, scheduled for 9–12 November 2026 in Austin, and Humanoids 2026, set for 6–9 December 2026 in Santa Clara, California. The calendar helps readers keep track of major conferences and workshops in the robotics community. Readers can enjoy the videos selected for this week.

The author suggests he may not have been the only one who found Figure's recent stunt somewhat ridiculous. The video shows a robot being decommissioned in a lighthearted way.

Devanthro is indeed selling these plastic balls for $1,000 each, and they will arrive in time for Christmas. The balls are marketed as collectible or playful items, not as functional robot parts. [Devanthro]

Although ringtones are largely obsolete, the author says this one would be absolutely everywhere if people still used them—and he would love it. The clip highlights how a simple sound can become memorable. [Pollen]

The author cautions against getting too excited, but calls this thread-like linear motor pretty sweet. The motor's thin, thread-like design sets it apart from conventional linear actuators. [Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne LMTS]

What is this robot for? It is for doing exactly what is shown here, and that is its purpose. The robot performs a specific task exactly as demonstrated, with no broader function implied. [RAI Institute]

Humanoid robots still struggle to plan contact-rich whole-body manipulation from egocentric RGB and proprioception. Workhorse learns such manipulation from robot-free human demonstrations. On a real Unitree G1, Workhorse sorts boxes with its hands and a kick, catches a thrown box, and topples and climbs a suitcase. This work aims to bridge the gap between human demonstrations and robust humanoid control.

The author jokes that the same thing happens to him when he has a communication failure. The moment captures a relatable mishap in robot communication. [Hybrid Robotics]

A car wash that models a vehicle and then cleans it with robot arms is an interesting idea. Recent reviews from this location suggest the robots are not quite up to snuff yet, but there seems to be real potential. If the technology matures, automated car washes could become more precise and efficient. [KUKA]

This is not the worst idea the author has ever seen for what to do with humanoid robots. The author implies the idea has some merit, even if it is unconventional. [DEEP Robotics]

Some lovely manipulation is on display with a deceptively simple gripper. The gripper's simple design makes the manipulation results especially impressive. [Generalist]

The author is genuinely embarrassed to say that this robot dances better than he does. The comparison highlights how advanced robot motion has become. [General Robotics Lab]

MIT researchers developed SANDO, a new navigation system that helps robots safely navigate unfamiliar environments while avoiding moving obstacles. The system can rapidly plan and adjust a collision-free path using onboard sensors and computing, with safety backed by mathematical guarantees. SANDO combines perception, planning, and control to handle dynamic environments. [MIT News]

Can you spot the part of this video that the author is side-eyeing? Yes, it is where the middle clip starts after the hand already has a good grip on that peelable strip. The author points out a subtle editing or timing issue in the middle clip. [Sanctuary AI]

Inspired by feather stars, NC State researchers report a soft underwater swimming robot capable of achieving three distinct swimming modes—jellyfish-like vertical swimming, fish-like directional steering, and rotor-like 3D reorientation—using only two pneumatic inputs. The robot's minimal pneumatic inputs make its versatile motion particularly notable. [NC State University]

Here is a series of mini-keynotes from ICRA earlier this year, covering manipulation, humanoids, and embodied design. The keynotes offer concise insights into current trends in robotics research. [ICRA 2026]