How KIT’s robot handles unexpected damageIEEE Spectrum recently detailed the system after the underlying research was presented at ICRA 2026 in Vienna in June. KIT’s paper describes a planning framework built from CAD data, robot capabilities, and inspection results, allowing the system to update its assumptions as disassembly progresses. When an electric motor contained a deliberately stuck screw, the system abandoned its original unscrewing plan and milled off the lid instead. For now, KIT has demonstrated the first technical step: a robot that notices when the teardown plan is wrong and chooses another route. Also read: Honda is developing a broader robotics strategy after ASIMO, including an avatar robot and a multi-fingered hand designed for practical manipulation tasks.