The scientists spent three years programming the robot - made of arms, grippers, sensors and 3D cameras - which assembled the frame of an IKEA dining chair in around 20 minutes.

What if you never had to assemble another Malm again? Enter: the robots Rose Eveleth Contributor Image: Tiago A. Pereira The average twenty-something probably spends at least 20 hours of her life ...

An autonomous robot can now assemble an IKEA chair without a manual in less than 21 minutes, which is an odd but significant milestone in artificial intelligence and robotics.