Happy Holidays: Video Friday!

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.

ICRA 2025: 19–23 May 2025, ATLANTA, GA

Enjoy today’s videos!

At the FZI, it’s not just work for our robots, they join our festivities, too. Our shy robot Spot stumbled into this year’s FZI Winter Market …, a cheerful event for robots and humans alike. Will he find his place? We certainly hope so, because Feuerzangenbowle tastes much better after clinking glasses with your hot-oil-drinking friends.

[ FZI ]

Thanks, Georg!

The Fraunhofer IOSB Autonomous Robotic Systems Research Group wishes you a Merry Christmas filled with joy, peace, and robotic wonders!

[ Fraunhofer IOSB ]

Thanks, Janko!

There’s some thrilling action in this Christmas video from the PUT Mobile Robotics Laboratory, and the trick to put the lights on the tree is particularly clever. Enjoy!

[ PUT MRL ]

Thanks, Dominik!

The Norlab wishes you a Merry Christmas!

[ Northern Robotics Laboratory ]

The Learning Systems and Robotics Lab has made a couple of robot holiday videos based on the research that they’re doing:

[ Crowd Navigation ]

[ Learning with Contacts ]

Thanks, Sepehr!

Robots on a gift mission: Christmas greetings from the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center!

[ DFKI ]

Happy Holidays from Clearpath Robotics! Our workshop has been bustling lately with lots of exciting projects and integrations just in time for the holidays! The TurtleBot 4 elves helped load up the sleigh with plenty of presents to go around. Rudolph the Husky A300 made the trek through the snow so our Ridgeback friend with a manipulator arm and gripper could receive its gift.

[ Clearpath Robotics ]

2024 has been an eventful year for us at PAL Robotics, filled with milestones and memories. As the festive season approaches, we want to take a moment to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for being part of our journey!

[ PAL Robotics ]

Thanks, Rugilė!

In Santa’s shop, so bright and neat, A robot marched on metal feet. With tinsel arms and bolts so tight, It trimmed the tree all through the night. It hummed a carol, beeped with cheer, “Processing joy—it’s Christmas here!” But when it tried to dance with grace, It tangled lights around its face. “Error detected!” it spun around, Then tripped and tumbled to the ground. The elves all laughed, “You’ve done your part—A clumsy bot, but with a heart!” The ArtiMinds team would like to thank all partners and customers for an exciting 2024. We wish you and your families a Merry Christmas, joyful holidays and a Happy New Year – stay healthy.

[ ArtiMinds ]

Thanks to FANUC CRX collaborative robots, Santa and his elves can enjoy the holiday season knowing the work is getting done for the big night.

[ FANUC ]

Perhaps not technically a holiday video, until you consider how all that stuff you ordered online is actually getting to you.

[ Agility Robotics ]

Happy Holidays from Quanser, our best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy 2025!

[ Quanser ]

Season’s Greetings from the team at Kawasaki Robotics USA! This season, we’re building blocks of memories filled with endless joy, and assembling our good wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous new year. May the upcoming year be filled with opportunities and successes. From our team to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season surrounded by loved ones and filled with joy and laughter.

[ Kawasaki Robotics ]

The robotics students at Queen’s University’s Ingenuity Labs Research Institute put together a 4K Holiday Robotics Lab Fireplace video, and unlike most fireplace videos, stuff actually happens in this one.