---
title: "Watch an MIT Robot Attempt the Bottle Cap Challenge — Sort Of"
description: "MIT's Baxter robot uses its ability to mimic human motions to tackle the viral Bottle Cap Challenge in a decidedly different way."
date: "2019-07-12"
modified: "2019-07-12"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/see-mit-robot-attempt-bottle-cap-challenge"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "#bottlecapchallenge"
  - "Baxter"
  - "the digest"
  - "viral video"
---

# Watch an MIT Robot Attempt the Bottle Cap Challenge — Sort Of

![MIT's Baxter robot uses its ability to mimic human motions to tackle the viral #bottlecapchallenge in a decidely different way.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/see-mit-robot-attempt-bottlecapchallenge.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: MIT\</em\>*

## Challenge Accepted

In the world of robotics, [Baxter](<https://futurism.com/robots-humans-learn-talk-one-another>) is something of a [celebrity](<https://www.wired.com/story/a-long-goodbye-to-baxter-a-gentle-giant-among-robots/>), and now, the bot is starting to act like one — by putting its own twist on the latest viral trend.

In May, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory demonstrated [Baxter's latest skill](<http://news.mit.edu/2019/robots-help-you-lift-objects-looking-your-biceps-0522>): mirroring a human operator's arm movements by watching their bicep and tricep muscles.

In a newly published video, Baxter uses this talent to follow in the footsteps of Ryan Reynolds, Mariah Carey, and [other celebs](<https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a28340871/best-bottle-cap-challenge-videos/>) by tackling the viral #BottleCapChallenge.

https://twitter.com/MIT_CSAIL/status/1149689246472478720

## Techy Twist

If you've spent any time at all on the internet in the past few weeks, you're likely already familiar with the #BottleCapChallenge — essentially, a person just films themselves unscrewing a bottle cap in an inventive way that typically involves a badass 360-degree kick.

Baxter doesn't have legs, so the standard unscrewing method wasn't an option for the MIT team. Instead, they tweaked the bot's "hand," adding a soft, flexible gripper that could bend around the bottle cap, CSAIL grad student Joseph DelPreto [told *Digital Trends*](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/mit-baxter-robot-bottle-cap-challenge/>).

After that, they had Baxter watch as DelPreto knocked a cap off one bottle, and sure enough, the robot mirrored his motions — perhaps earning the honor of delivering the most high-tech #BottleCapChallenge to hit the 'net yet.

**READ MORE:** [MIT whiz kids got a robot to take on the viral #BottleCapChallenge](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/mit-baxter-robot-bottle-cap-challenge/>) \[*Digital Trends*\]

**More on Baxter:** *[Robots and Humans Need to Learn How To “Talk” to One Another](<https://futurism.com/robots-humans-learn-talk-one-another>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)