Roboticists from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI), headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently developed AthenaZero, a new robotic system with two arms that could perform agile, humanlike movements.
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AthenaZero: A low-inertia, bimanual robot for dynamic manipulation
AthenaZero is a bimanual manipulator designed to minimize inertia without compromising control authority. By using quasidirect drive actuation and transmission remotization techniques, the system achieves an effective end-point...
MassLive’s Most Influential Innovators of 2026
The Cambridge-based Robotics and AI Institute is exploring the convergence of those two fields, and how they might be used to make manufacturing more efficient.
ScienceAdviser: ZESTy robots cartwheel and backflip
Today in Science and science: The first Denisovan leg bone, gutsy winter horses, and more
ZEST: Zero-shot embodied skill transfer for athletic robot control
Achieving robust, humanlike whole-body control on humanoid robots for agile, contact-rich behaviors remains a central challenge, demanding heavy per-skill engineering and a brittle process of tuning controllers. We...
What Makes a Job Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous? Research from the RAI Institute redefines undesirable work for robotics
What exactly is a “dull” task, and who makes that assumption? Is “dirty” work just about needing to wash your hands afterwards, or is there also an aspect...
What Happened When We Set Up a Robotics Lab in a Mall? A thousand people got to drive Spot. Lessons were learned
In summer 2025, RAI Institute set up a free pop-up robot experience in the CambridgeSide mall, designed to let people experience state-of-the-art robotics first hand.
Marc Raibert: Half a Century of Innovation, and Still Looking Ahead
Executive Director Marc Raibert is one of the first guests interviewed by Brian Heater on his newly launched podcast, Automated Podcast by A3. Listen now to hear about...
The RAI Institute opens up unique opportunities for both researchers and students
The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Zurich Oerlikon celebrated the opening of its new centre on 15 September. Marco Hutter, ETH professor of robotic systems and director...
The robots have taken over this store at a Cambridge mall
A pop-up “Robot Lab,” designed by the Cambridge-based Robotics and AI Institute, opened at the CambridgeSide shopping mall this summer.
RAI Institute Robot Lab Now Open!
This summer, we’ve opened the RAI Institute Robot Lab, a free, interactive space at the CambridgeSide mall.