Watch: Two-armed robot throws, catches, and hits balls like a baseball champ

- Watch: Two-armed robot throws, catches, and hits balls like a baseball champ. A new two-armed robot developed by the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) has demonstrated its ability to throw, catch, and hit balls with coordinated, human-like movements, offering a different approach to a longstanding challenge in robotics: interacting with objects dynamically rather than simply moving them from one place to another. Called AthenaZero, the robotic system was designed to replicate some of the mechanical properties that let humans perform rapid, forceful, and delicate movements. In experiments reported in Science Robotics, the robot completed three baseball-inspired tasks involving throwing balls, catching them, and hitting them with a bat. The research was led by roboticists including Andrew S. Morgan, who told TechXplore that the team wanted to investigate how a robot’s mass and force-producing capabilities could be designed to more closely resemble those of a human. Building a robot that can yield to forces AthenaZero consists of a central torso, two robotic arms fitted with hands, and a system of motors and gears. Although the arms’ structural segments are rigid, their joints can yield to external forces, allowing the robot to respond in a controlled manner when interacting with objects or its surroundings. This design reflects a different approach to robotic manipulation . Many conventional industrial robots are built to be stiff and precise, making them effective at repetitive tasks such as lifting heavy objects or positioning components on an assembly line. However, that stiffness can make physical interactions harder to manage, especially when objects move unpredictably or require a softer touch. AthenaZero was designed to operate across a wider range of forces, allowing it to be both delicate and forceful depending on the task. The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective