When Robots Have Their ChatGPT Moment, Remember These Pincers

As I watch, a robot's claw hurtles toward a light bulb on a table, and I wince, anticipating the crunch of impact. But in a surprising display of finesse, the claw suddenly decelerates, beginning to gingerly paw around the table as if searching for something misplaced. It carefully positions the bulb between its two pincers, only to have it roll away.

The claw then goes chasing after it, nipping at the bulb until it's back in its grasp. With a swift motion, the robot screws the bulb into a nearby socket, illuminating its work area. In more than a decade of writing about robots, I have never seen one move with such natural ease.

Most robots are clumsy and ham-fisted, even when controlled remotely by a human operator. Of the few dozen robot arms available on the market today, not a single one can accomplish the simple task of screwing in a light bulb. I visited Eka, a startup based in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to witness this impressive display of robotic dexterity.

The company's office is conveniently located just a short walk from MIT and a slightly longer bike ride from my home. Eka's office is situated a few floors above one of my favorite restaurants, Shy Bird, where I often work on stories for WIRED, using my own 'pincers' – my fingers – to type away.