For all their technological brilliance, from navigating distant planets to performing complex surgery, robots still struggle with a few basic human tasks. One of the most significant challenges is dexterity, which refers to the ability to grasp, hold and manipulate objects. Until now, that is. Scientists from the Toyota Research Institute in Massachusetts have trained a robot to use its entire body to handle large objects, much like humans do.
We use a variety of skills to pick up and manage objects, from small, precise hand movements to large-muscle movements involving the arms, legs and trunk (gross motor skills). Robots find these larger movements difficult, such as lifting and holding onto a large box, because they require constant, complex adjustments to prevent the object from fumbling or dropping.
In a study published in the journal Science Robotics, the research team demonstrated how a humanoid upper-body robot, named Punyo, was able to move a large water jug onto its shoulder. It could also pick up and hold onto a large box. To guide its movements, the robot relied on feedback from its soft, pressure-sensing skin and joint sensors.
The key to the robot’s success was the softness of its body (passive compliance) and the flexibility programmed into its joints (active compliance). When compared to a rigid version of the robot, it performed much better. “Adding any type of compliance (that is, passive, active, or both) is beneficial, showing an increase of 206% in the success rate on average compared to no compliance,” the scientists wrote.
What’s more, the robot required minimal learning. The researchers taught Punyo using a method called example-guided reinforcement learning. They showed it what to do with just one demonstration in a virtual environment, and then it practiced on its own until it figured out how to do it. “A single teleoperated demonstration collected in simulation is sufficient to train policies for stylized, contact-rich motions,” the research team added.
More useful robots
This technology is a significant step toward creating robots that can be even more helpful in our daily lives. For example, they could safely and reliably move large, unwieldy objects, such as furniture in the home or heavy packages in a warehouse. They could even help with tasks in a care setting, such as assisting people with mobility challenges. And the robots wouldn’t need to be meticulously programmed. Instead, they would be able to learn human-like skills from just a single demonstration.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information:
Jose A. Barreiros et al, Learning contact-rich whole-body manipulation with example-guided reinforcement learning, Science Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.ads6790
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A robot learns to handle bulky objects like humans do after just one lesson (2025, September 3)
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