From Jason Statham to Mariah Carey, this month many celebrities have tried their hand at the latest viral trend - the Bottle Cap Challenge.
The challenge sees people attempting to knock a loose lid from the top of a bottle using a roundhouse kick.
While this might sound fairly straight forward, in practice it requires a surprising amount of skill.
Now, a robot has tried the Bottle Cap Challenge, with the help of researchers from MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
The robot, called Baxter, is designed to mirror muscle movements made by a human by observing the biceps.
Baxter lacks legs, meaning unfortunately he can’t do a roundhouse kick, but instead deftly flicks the bottle cap off with his robotic arm.
In the video, researcher Joseph DelPreto can be seen wearing small sensors on his arms, while the robot is standing opposite him.
As Mr DelPreto raises his arm, the sensors detect the firing of neurons. This information is then passed on to Baxter’s algorithm, allowing the robot to mimic the movement.
Daniela Rus, Director of CSAIL explained: “Using muscle signals to communicate almost makes the robot an extension of yourself that you can fluidly control.”
While the Bottle Cap Challenge is simply a bit of fun, this movement mirroring could have important uses in the future.
According to Mr DelPreto, Baxter could help in manufacturing and construction settings, or even as an assistant around the house.
