Skip to main content

MIT designs autonomous robot that assembles IKEA furniture

IkeaBotWe’ve already got robots for some of life’s most tedious tasks – there’s the Roomba for vacuuming, the Looj for cleaning the gutters, and Siri for writing our texts when we’re too drunk to use our thumbs. In the utopian future, we’ll have a robot for every stupid chore we hate doing ourselves, and thanks to the wizards at MIT, we can finally cross one more of these tasks off the list: assembling IKEA furniture. Thats’s right, MIT researchers have actually developed a robot that will assemble flat-pack furniture on it’s own, with minimal direction.

This revolutionary contraption was unveiled earlier this week at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) by a team from MIT’s Distributed Robotics Laboratory. But before you crap yourself from being so impressed, you should know that the IKEAbot isn’t just one robot – it’s actually a pair of them. Just like with humans, it takes two to assemble a Borgsjö TV stand. Going it alone will only lead to frustration, rage, and involuntary enrollment in an anger management program. So, in an effort to avoid any outbursts of hellish robotic fury, the team from MIT wisely built the IkeaBot from a pair of KUKA  YouBots, each of which have been retrofitted with special arms for screwing things in. Not only is this a wildly innovative idea, it also finally gives us an answer to the age old question of “how many robots does it take to screw in a table leg?”

Recommended Videos

Words don’t really do it justice, so check out the video below to get an idea of how it works. Skip to somewhere around the two minute mark to see it in action.

The hardware is pretty impressive, but in all honesty the software is where the magic happens. To begin, the only thing the bots are given is a set of CAD files that describe the furniture in terms of geometry, number of parts, screw holes locations. From there, they use a custom object-oriented symbolic planning system to figure out how the pieces fit together – without actually knowing what the finished furniture will look like. Aside from the CAD files, all the bots know is that every screw hole should be used and that no parts should be left over. Amazingly, even with such simple rules, the bots almost always end up with the right configuration . 

Unfortunately, the project is far from being commercially available, but let’s not kid ourselves here – if you’re buying furniture at IKEA, chances are you can’t afford a pair of 20,000-dollar autonomous robots to assemble it for you. For now, you’ll have to build stuff the old fashioned way: on your knees, with the instructions in the wastebasket. But if you’re patient, I’m sure we’ll have these badboys at our disposal in just a couple years.

Drew Prindle
Former Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more