Home › Topics › AI, Machine Learning & Data
Robotics: videos Hacker News recommends
Robotics: humanoid robots, Boston Dynamics, Atlas, legged locomotion, drones, industrial robots, robot control, manipulation, robot demos, Figure, Tesla Optimus, drone delivery. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (52 demos, 8 explainers, 8 news clips), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2014–2026HN has recommended it for a decade as the standard explainer on automation and unemployment, though skeptics later cite it as an example of overconfident predictions.
- 9 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2023HN points to it as the best explanation of how Zipline's whole system works and as an example of drones doing real, useful work.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2023–2024HN commenters cite it as the clearest look at Zipline's real-world drone operations, especially for medical delivery and the solved noise problem.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2016–2021N NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory · documentaryHN repeatedly recommends it as an awe-inspiring example of engineering problem solving and the go-to explainer on how Mars landings work.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026S Stop Autonomous Weapons · videoHN invokes it as the standard reference whenever drone swarms, autonomous weapons or military AI come up in the news.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2023It is the standard answer when someone asks what happened to drone delivery.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2020J Jaimie Stuff · videoHN commenters point to it as the start of a gripping, wonder-inducing build saga by a prolific maker of ambitious mechanical projects.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2026D DUST · videoHN keeps citing it whenever drone swarms, autonomous weapons or AI warfare come up, as a believable depiction of where this leads.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2024HN commenters point to it as a nice introduction to micromouse and maze-racing robots.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021Recommended as a gripping look at how hard Mars entry, descent and landing is.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2011–2021F Festo · demoRecommended as a spectacular example of bio-inspired robotics, and a pointer to Festo's other work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2008–2019O olinerd · demoHN returns to it as the classic jaw-dropping demo of legged robots handling rough terrain, and as a historical marker for how long such robots have existed.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025Plugged repeatedly in AI and drone threads as a concise statement of the dangers of automated weapons.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2020HN calls it a great, impressive engineering project involving real-time trajectory calculation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2026HN commenters recommend it as the physical-machine take on replicating handwriting, with plenty of explained iteration.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2024I Ishikawa Group Laboratory · demoHN commenters bring it up in book-scanning threads as an impressive non-destructive method that is not commercially available.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2016J Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory · news clipHN cites it as an astonishing glimpse of advanced thought-controlled prosthetics.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021T This Place · explainerRecommended as a convincing counterargument to the widely repeated idea of the uncanny valley.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026HN uses it as primary-source evidence on how Tesla's vision-based driving stack and training pipeline work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2023Offered as a clear, well-made look at a real, working drone-delivery system, often in answer to skepticism about delivery drones.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025HN uses it as the benchmark for state-of-the-art humanoid robot mobility in discussions of Tesla Bot and robotics progress.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2024Brought up as a favorite and as an inspiration for small, cheap jumping robots for obstacle crossing and planetary exploration.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2023Pointed to in AI safety debates as a short explanation of why encoding human values as simple rules is so hard.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024B Brian Douglas · explainerRecommended as a short, fascinating introduction to how simple sensor-actuator machines can appear intelligent.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025F Future of Life Institute · videoHN cites it whenever drone swarms or autonomous weapons come up, as a dramatized warning that now feels increasingly plausible.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021Julia fans point to it as a concrete example of Julia working for soft real-time robotics, especially when avoiding heap allocation.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026Cited in automation and robotics threads as the example of a warehouse built robot-first.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2020H Hizook · demoHN cites it as an example of what 1kHz vision and fast control loops enable, in threads about AI hardware and robotics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2025P Pierre-Yves Oudeyer · lectureHN cites it as primary-source history of AI hype and skepticism, and for the vintage Freddy robot footage.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2021K KivaDirector · demoUsed to show what Kiva-style warehouse automation actually looks like: simple wheeled robots moving racks to humans.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2022HN cites it as the standard example of advanced warehouse automation in grocery fulfillment.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022HN brings it up in drone threads as a favorite tech talk and as evidence of how weak consumer drone security is.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025R Red Bull · demoCited in discussions of drone performance and of how drone footage conveys the real speed of an F1 car.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2020Cited in repair and recycling threads as Apple's showcase of its iPhone disassembly robot, and sometimes mocked as marketing for what is really shredding.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026T theworacle · demoHN cites it as striking evidence of long-standing kinetic interceptor and hover-control technology.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2021HN cites it as a striking demonstration of how far humanoid robot agility had come.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2017Cited as a landmark demonstration of how capable autonomous drones had become, mostly in threads about drone delivery, swarms and drone warfare.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025C CS Consulting · videoLinked in drone and military AI threads as a chilling dramatization, though some find it alarmist.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2016A AerospaceControlsLab · demoReferenced in drone threads as a demonstration that variable pitch quadcopters fly well with little drift.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2020Used as the go-to demo of robot resilience when Boston Dynamics comes up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2019M Mark Mueller · demoIt is the standard citation in drone and eVTOL threads for the claim that multirotors can survive a failed rotor with the right control algorithm.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2025HN uses it as the go-to illustration of Moravec's paradox and as a baseline for how far robotics has come since 2015.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025N No Priors: AI, Machine Learning, Tech, & Startups · podcast episodeCommenters cite it for Karpathy's views on Tesla versus Waymo, neural networks as a path to AGI, and the quality of internet data for LLMs.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2024G Gajamohan Mohanarajah (Gajan) · demoBrought up whenever reaction wheels or self-balancing cubes come up, with the jump-up maneuver singled out as the coolest part.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2022G Goatstream · demoHN cites it as an earlier, smoother precedent whenever new learned-locomotion or simulated-walking work appears.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026HN cites it as a glimpse of in-house, highly automated hardware manufacturing and the scale of a lights-off factory.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2024Cited as a benchmark for how capable robots already are when HN debates AI, humanoids and automation.
- cited 5× 0 months 2014–2020I Ishikawa Group Laboratory · demoCited as a vivid example of machines outpacing human reaction times and of high-speed robotic vision.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2024Mostly cited as an example of robots doing warehouse and logistics work in automation discussions.
- cited 3× 0 months 2009–2017朴 朴哲鉉 · demoUsed as an early, concrete example of robotic kitchen automation when HN discusses robot chefs and baristas.
- cited 8× 0 months 2020–2026A ALTER · videoUsed as a reference point in discussions of autonomous weapons, as a once-sci-fi scenario that now looks prescient.
- cited 3× 0 months 2008–2011R roborama · demoCited critically as a famous failed demo, to mock ASIMO or the state of humanoid robotics.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2023T Tobias Glück · demoCited as a harder real-world version of the pole-balancing problem and as proof that chaotic systems can be controlled.
- cited 5× 0 months 2012–2014HN commenters link it as a concrete picture of Kiva-style robotic warehouses whenever threads discuss warehouse automation and same-day delivery.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2023HN cites Zipline as an example of a drone company doing meaningful work with a fixed-base delivery approach.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2024J Jamerson McGradner · comedy videoHN uses it purely as a joke reference in threads about autonomous weapons, robots and malfunctioning automation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2014Mentioned in passing as an example of practical legged robots and as a comparison point for hexapod projects.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2024S Seeker · documentaryHN cites it as an example of automated cloud labs and AI already running physical experiments.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2022F forschungsbuero · demoHN points to it as proof that manned multicopters and eVTOL craft existed well before the current hype.
- cited 4× 0 months 2011–2013T Team BlackSheep · demoHN cites it as a well-known early example of FPV drone flight in drone and regulation discussions.
- cited 11× 0 months 2013–2022F FreakyVidsDaily · news clipCited in surveillance threads as a concrete example of persistent wide-area aerial surveillance that already existed in 2013.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2017Cited as a simple example of automated driving maneuvers beyond what human drivers can do.
- cited 3× 0 months 2011–2018HN uses it as a go-to example of drones and robotics doing construction work.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2018HN refers to it as the viral university video that showed what autonomous multicopter swarms can do and helped spark interest in multicopters.
- cited 5× 0 months 2013–2019R Reuben Hoggett · demoHN cites it in robotics threads as proof that legged machines were mechanically feasible in the 1960s, long before Boston Dynamics.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2021Used as a go-to demonstration of how far dynamic robot locomotion has come.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2025R Rheinmetall – Der integrierte Technologiekonzern · demoHN cites it as an example of programmable airburst ammunition used against drones and fast aircraft.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–2019M Mark Mueller · demoHN cites it to show that a quadcopter can keep flying after losing a rotor, though under ideal lab conditions.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2015Cited as the reference example of a real fast legged robot, often to distinguish it from MIT's Cheetah.
- cited 6× 0 months 2014–2021T Tobias Glück · demoHN commenters cite it as an example of a hard, chaotic control problem that fast feedback and good control design can solve.
- cited 8× 0 months 2020–2026Used as a benchmark for robot agility, with debate over how much was choreographed or real-time.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2022HN uses it as a quick example of reinforcement learning agents acquiring locomotion in simulation, rather than recommending it as a deep resource.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2022G Gravity Industries · demoHN cites it as a practical use case for jet suits in emergency response, though some doubt how usable the suit is.
- cited 10× 0 months 2014–2024R RLLberkeley · demoHN cites it as the benchmark for how hard and slow robot laundry folding was, in threads about household robots and AI progress.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2021A AviationWeek · demoHN cites it as evidence that microwave and electromagnetic weapons against drones are real and already tested.
- cited 20× 0 months 2021–2025Treated as a primary source on how Tesla builds its self-driving stack, cited by timestamp for transformers, synthetic data, Dojo and the humanoid bot.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2015A Armando Izquierdo · videoCited in drone regulation discussions as evidence that quadcopters can injure people.
- cited 4× 0 months 2018–2024B Ben Katz · demoCited as proof that machines solved the cube in under a second years ago, often as the earlier record before newer robots.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2024C CMU Robotics Institute · news clipCited as evidence that autonomous driving has been demonstrated for decades and that progress was slow.
- cited 7× 0 months 2022–2025R Rheinmetall – Der integrierte Technologiekonzern · demoUsed as an example of existing anti-drone-swarm defences in threads on drone warfare.
- cited 14× 0 months 2016–2026Used as a benchmark of robotics progress and a go-to example of impressive bipedal walking in AI and automation debates.
- cited 7× 0 months 2015–2026K KUKA Group · demoHN links it as the go-to example of fast robot reactions and robots playing table tennis, with some skepticism that it was staged marketing.
- cited 11× 0 months 2015–2026Brought up whenever robotic or automatic EV charging comes up, as the memorable 2015 demo that never became a product.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2024Linked as an example of the honest, self-aware way Tom Scott treats VPN ads and their legitimate use cases.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2025T Toyota Research Institute · demoHN commenters point to it as evidence that robots can already learn manipulation tasks quickly, using diffusion-based policies.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2021HN cites it for the live demo of multicopters flying with fewer working rotors.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2015Used as a reference point when comparing other legged robots, such as the MIT Cheetah, on gait and speed.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–20230 0zxr · demoUsed as a vivid example of spinal pattern generators and morphological control in locomotion discussions.
- cited 5× 0 months 2020–2024Used as a Skynet joke and cited as a parody that fooled some viewers into thinking it was real.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2024HN commenters cite it as a fun real-world example of Spot hauling a passenger whenever Boston Dynamics robots come up.
Questions
What is the most recommended robotics video on Hacker News?
What Happened to Horses Is Happening to Us by CGP Grey: HN has recommended it for a decade as the standard explainer on automation and unemployment, though skeptics later cite it as an example of overconfident predictions.
How is this robotics list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.