Latest / The Robotics Podcast with Fexingo: Autonomous Systems, Industrial Robots, and Hardware
Why Robot Arms Can't Flip a Pancake
Flipping a pancake looks easy, but for a robot arm it requires dynamic manipulation, precise force control, and real-time adaptation to deformable objects. In this episode, we break down the physics of the flip—torque, friction, and catching—and examine why even the latest robots still struggle. We explore a 2025 study from MIT's CSAIL that used a soft gripper and reinforcement learning to achieve a 73 percent success rate on a modified stovetop. We'll discuss the broader implications for cooking robots, warehouse packing, and any task demanding fluid, non-prehensile motion. Plus…
The skinny
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