Latest / The Robotics Podcast with Fexingo: Autonomous Systems, Industrial Robots, and Hardware
Why Robot Arms Still Cant Handle a Screwdriver
Lucas and Luna dive into the surprisingly hard problem of robots using screwdrivers. Despite advances in industrial automation, manipulating a common screwdriver remains a challenge due to force control, tool alignment, and variable materials. They discuss a 2025 IEEE paper from MIT's CSAIL that tested a KUKA robot arm on 50 different screw types, achieving only 73 percent success. The episode explores the physics of screwing, why torque sensing isn't enough, and what this means for assembly line automation. Lucas breaks down the specific failure modes: cam-out, cross-threading, and…
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