Evan Ackerman

2 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. Why use a humanoid when you could use Dexterity’s Mech instead. Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. European Robotics Forum: 25–27 March 2025, STUTTGART, GERMANY RoboSoft 2025: 23–26 April 2025, LAUSANNE,

3 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. The one-legged leaping robot Salto is learning a new balancing act, courtesy of squirrels. Original photos: Justin Yim/UC Berkeley; J. Exp. Biol. 2025 When you see a squirrel jump to a branch, you might think (and I myself thought, up until just now) that they’re doing what birds and primates would do to stick the landing: just grabbing the branch and hanging on. But it

2 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. DLR’s rover is hitching a ride to Phobos on a JAXA spacecraft. Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. European Robotics Forum: 25–27 March 2025, STUTTGART, GERMANY RoboSoft 2025: 23–26 April 2025,

4 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. An inside look at Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. Boston Dynamics Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. RoboCup German Open: 12–16 March 2025, NUREMBERG, GERMANY German Robotics Conference: 13–15 March 2025, NUREMBERG, GERMANY

4 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. LEAP, or “Legged Exploration Across the Plume,” is a small jumping robot designed for low gravity mobility. NASA/Justin Yim Salto has been one of our favorite robots since we were first introduced to it in 2016 as a project out of Ron Fearing’s lab at UC Berkeley. The palm-sized spring-loaded jumping robot has gone from barely being able to chain together a few open-loop jumps

4 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. EPFL’s shape-changing robot can handle all the terrains. Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. RoboCup German Open: 12–16 March 2025, NUREMBERG, GERMANY German Robotics Conference: 13–15 March 2025, NUREMBERG, GERMANY European