Latest / The Robotics Podcast with Fexingo: Autonomous Systems, Industrial Robots, and Hardware
Why Robot Hands Can't Wipe a Spill with a Cloth
In this episode of The Robotics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a deceptively simple task that still stumps most robotic systems: wiping a liquid spill with a cloth. They break down the physics of absorption, the need for real-time pressure and angle adaptation, and why even the best grippers fail at adsorbing fluids. Lucas cites a 2025 IEEE study showing robots achieve only 32% success on standardised spill-wipe tests, while humans succeed 94% of the time. They discuss the tactile sensing work at MIT and the 'dry-to-wet' transition problem. The hosts also touch on why this matters…
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