Robot Video Compilation: DARPA Challenge, Delivery Drones, and STEMbot

Welcome to Video Friday, our weekly roundup of the best robotics videos, curated by the IEEE Spectrum robotics team. We also share a calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months.

Mark your calendars for Actuate 2026 (Aug 18–19, San Francisco), IROS 2026 (Sep 27–Oct 1, Pittsburgh), and Humanoids Summit Seoul (Sep 22–23).

In this week's videos, we start with the DARPA Lift Challenge. Trust me, the most entertaining part of any DARPA challenge is when things go horribly wrong.

After enjoying the crashes and battery fires, catch up on the final days with video recaps.

Next, drone delivery is getting closer: researchers at HKUST Aerial Robotics Group demonstrate delivery to a moving vehicle (or perhaps through an open window).

STEMbot is a tiny robot that climbs plant stems to check for pests. It's slow but adorable.

Monumental's robots laid about 20,000 bricks for a semi-detached home in a new community.

Meet the world's most "truss't-worthy" robot from Modlab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Stanford BDML and Honeybee Robotics propose a payload to test gecko-inspired adhesives in space, for NASA.

BRAIN VISTEC presents a Differential Adaptive Steering (DAST) mechanism for legged robots to adapt their direction under decentralized adaptive control.

Sanctuary AI reminds us that it's okay if a robot fails safely, as long as it recovers.

Kawasaki Robotics shows a robot pouring champagne with a light touch.

LimX Dynamics suggests that if we stored clothes in a pile on the floor, robots would have an easier time.

Sharpa demonstrates folding shirts at a pace we can all relate to.

DEEP Robotics' DR02 humanoid robot ascends stairs with stable, controlled movement.

AgileX introduces a structural mini-fridge robot (or mini fridge? Three words).