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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchA robot that can change its body plan is the standout in IEEE Spectrum’s 13 March 2026 Video Friday roundup. Northwestern University’s modular legged machines are research demonstrations—not retail robots. The roundup also features a MagicLab robot panda, whose clip does not identify a model for sale, plus a separate Sphero educational-robot segment.
What is the modular robot in the roundup?
Northwestern University’s legged metamachines are built from modules that researchers can combine into different body plans. Each building block is an autonomous robot with its own motor, battery, and computer; the modules work together after assembly. Northwestern describes the legs as half a meter long.
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The researchers used AI to generate three-, four-, and five-legged configurations, then assembled and tested them outdoors. The reported test environments included gravel, grass, tree roots, leaves, sand, mud, and uneven bricks. Northwestern says the machines could keep moving after damage or reconfiguration. That is a reported capability of the research system, not evidence that every arrangement performs equally well or is ready for deployment.
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#1 Best Overall
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Northwestern University’s report on the outdoor robot tests
Can you buy the robot panda?
The panda is a MagicLab clip included in the roundup. IEEE Spectrum does not name a retail model or provide a price or specifications, so the video alone is not enough to identify a robot panda available to buy.
Rank #2
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IEEE Spectrum’s 13 March 2026 Video Friday roundup
What else appears in Video Friday?
The roundup is a selection of robotics clips, not a product review or a controlled comparison. Alongside the modular legs and panda, it includes delivery and humanoid robots, teleoperation, semantic exploration, robot-safety software, a reconfigurable response robot, an education-robot segment, and a Disney Research keynote. These clips cover different tasks and levels of autonomy; the page does not establish a shared benchmark for speed, reliability, or readiness.
Rank #3
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- Easy to Build: With clearly building instructions, this building kit can be easily built within 15 minutes. Kids will learn more about electronics, machinery, and robotics components through building mBot. You can also play this STEM projects for kids ages 8-12 as a remote control car with its multi-functions: line-follow, obstacle-avoidance and so on
- Rich Tutorials for Programming: With Offerring coding cards and lessons, children can easily use all fonctions of mBot and creat projects by themselves. Matched with 3 free Makeblock apps and mBlock software, kids can enjoy remote control, play programming games, and coding with mBot robot kit. Note that the remote controller needs a CR2025 battery(NOT INCLUDED), and the robot kit needs 4 AA batteries (NOT INCLUDED)
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For a useful historical point of comparison, MIT CSAIL’s M-Blocks are self-transforming cubes that move using internal flywheels and connect magnetically. MIT News reported that 90 percent succeeded in forming a line in one particular experiment in 2019. That result applies to that test, not to the Northwestern machines or robots in the roundup generally.
MIT News on the M-Blocks self-assembling robots
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which robot can you try for coding?
Sphero is a separate educational thread in the roundup, not the maker of the featured Northwestern research robot. For a hands-on coding option, Sphero’s official site identifies BOLT+ as a programmable coding robot. Its educational purpose makes it a more relevant starting point for learners than the research demonstrations, but it is a different kind of product.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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- Safe, Durable & Easy to Assemble: Made with non-toxic, durable materials and smooth rounded edges for safe handling. The kit includes a screwdriver, step-by-step instructions, and colorful illustrations to make assembly easier and more enjoyable. A fun and educational robot kit for boys ages 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12 who love hands-on building toys.
Sphero BOLT+ official product page
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