The Tactile Revolution:
Learning Physics via Jenga

Among the most surprising advances in modern robotics, teaching a robot to play Jenga remains one of the most fascinating case studies. At first glance, it's a game; in reality, it is a complex test of tactile perception.

This challenge develops essential skills: gesture precision, force analysis, and rapid decision-making. The robot uses a combination of 3D vision, force sensors, and AI to test every piece, assess risks, and withdraw a block without collapsing the tower.

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The Physics of Touch

Unlike Chess or Go, which are purely strategic, Jenga is physical. A robot cannot simply "see" which block is loose; it must feel it. This approach involves probing the tower and using a clustering technique to predict mechanics.

The system relies on three core pillars to succeed where traditional hard-coded robots fail:

• Tactile Probing: Gently pushing blocks to measure resistance forces.
• Visual Fusion: Using cameras to outline the tower's geometry.
• Physics Clustering: Learning from previous collapses to predict stability.

From Gameplay to Industry

What seems like a simple game is actually a miniature laboratory refining technologies destined for the real world. This "Sim-to-Real" transfer is crucial for logistics and household assistance.

• Fragile Handling: Manipulating eggs, glass, or soft fruit without damage.
• Adaptive Assembly: Fitting parts together in unstructured factory environments.
• Safety: Ensuring robots stop applying force immediately upon resistance.

🚀 The Ludification of Progress

By playing Jenga, the robot learns to touch, feel, and act with finesse. It moves away from rigid programming toward an adaptive, sensory-based intelligence.

This demonstration proves that gamification is a valid and powerful path to solving some of the hardest problems in mechanical engineering.