In what can only be described as a landmark moment for inter-robot relations, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have trained a robotic arm to expertly whip a Pepper robot. This isn’t just gratuitous robot-on-robot bullying; it’s a demonstration of DeformX, a new simulation framework designed to master the complex physics of deformable objects like ropes, cables, and, yes, whips. The project aims for high-fidelity sim-to-real transfer, and judging by the results, Pepper’s real-world counterpart should probably keep a safe distance from now on.
