<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-surveillance-camera-collage-with-digital-graphics-overlaying-a-curly-haired-person-and-a-speeding-car.png?id=62219013&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C22%2C0%2C23"/><br/><br/><p>For years, <a href="https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/journalism-public-relations/page/dr-gwen-shaffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwen Shaffer</a> has been leading Long Beach, Calif. residents on “data walks,” pointing out public Wi-Fi routers, security cameras, smart water meters, and parking kiosks. The goal, according to the professor of journalism and public relations at <a href="https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/journalism-public-relations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">California State University, Long Beach</a>, was to learn <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/survsoc/2025-v23-n2-survsoc010265/1120085ar/abstract/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how residents felt</a> about the ways in which their city collected data on them.</p><h3>Gwen Shaffer</h3><br/><p><a href="https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/journalism-public-relations/page/dr-gwen-shaffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwen Shaffer</a> is a professor of journalism and public relations at <a href="https://www.csulb.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">California State University, Long Beach</a>. She is the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation–funded project aimed at providing Long Beach residents with greater agency over the personal data their city collects.</p><p>She also identified a critical gap in <a data-linked-post="2666189882" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/smart-city-emergency-response" target="_blank">smart city</a> design today: While cities may disclose how they collect data, they rarely offer ways to opt out. Shaffer spoke with <em><em>IEEE Spectrum </em></em>about the experience of leading data walks, and about her research team’s efforts to give citizens more control over the data collected by public technologies.</p><p><strong>What was the inspiration for your data walks?</strong></p><p><strong>Gwen Shaffer: </strong>I began facilitating data walks in 2021. I was studying residents’ comfort levels with city-deployed technologies that collect personally identifiable information. My first career as a political reporter has influenced my research approach. I feel strongly about conducting applied rather than theoretical research. And I always go into a study with the goal of helping to solve a real-world challenge and inform policy.</p><p><strong>How did you organize the walks?</strong></p><p><strong>Shaffer: </strong>We posted data privacy labels with a QR code that residents can scan and find out how their data are being used. Downtown, they’re in Spanish and English. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia_Town,_Long_Beach,_California" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cambodia Town</a>, we did them in Khmer and English.</p><p><strong>What happened during the walks?</strong></p><p><strong>Shaffer: </strong>I’ll give you one example. In a couple of the city-owned parking garages, there are <a data-linked-post="2650271208" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/privacy-concerns-grow-as-us-police-departments-turn-to-license-plate-readers" target="_blank">automated license-plate readers</a> at the entrance. So when I did the data walks, I talked to our participants about how they feel about those scanners. Because once they have your license plate, if you’ve parked for fewer than two hours, you can breeze right through. You don’t owe money.</p><p>Responses were contextual and sometimes contradictory. There were residents who said, “Oh, yeah. That’s so convenient. It’s a time saver.” So I think that shows how residents are willing to make trade-offs. Intellectually, they hate the idea of the privacy violation, but they also love convenience.</p><p><strong>What surprised you most?</strong></p><p><strong>Shaffer: </strong>One of the participants said, “When I go to the airport, I can opt out of the facial scan and still be able to get on the airplane. But if I want to participate in so many activities in the city and not have my data collected, there’s no option.”</p><p>There was a<a href="https://www.hipaajournal.com/city-of-long-beach-ca-cyberattack/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> cyberattack against the city in November 2023</a>. Even though we didn’t have a prompt asking about it, people brought it up on their own in almost every focus group. One said, “I would never connect to public Wi-Fi, especially after the city of Long Beach’s site was hacked.”</p><p><strong>What is the app your team is developing?</strong></p><p><strong>Shaffer: </strong>Residents want agency. So that’s what led my research team to connect with privacy engineers at <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Carnegie Mellon University</a>, in Pittsburgh. <a href="https://www.cylab.cmu.edu/directory/bios/sadeh-norman.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Norman Sadeh</a> and his team had developed what they called the<a href="https://privacyassistant.org/iot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> IoT Assistant</a>. So I told them about our project, and proposed adapting their app for city-deployed technologies. Our plan is to give residents the opportunity to exercise their rights under the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">California Consumer Privacy Act</a> with this app. So they could say, “<a href="https://www.passportinc.com/faq/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Passport Parking app</a>, delete all the data you’ve already collected on me. And don’t collect any more in the future.”</p><p><em>This article appears in the December 2025 print issue as “Gwen Shaffer.”</em></p>

قامت غوين شافير، أستاذة في جامعة ولاية كاليفورنيا في لونغ بيتش، بإجراء 'جولات بيانات' في لونغ بيتش، كاليفورنيا، لتثقيف السكان حول التقنيات الذكية المختلفة في بيئتهم، بما في ذلك أجهزة التوجيه العامة للواي فاي وكاميرات الأمن. تهدف هذه الجولات إلى قياس مشاعر الجمهور بشأن وجود هذه التقنيات وآثارها في البيئات الحضرية.

Gwen Shaffer, profesora de la Universidad Estatal de California en Long Beach, ha estado realizando 'caminatas de datos' en Long Beach, California, para educar a los residentes sobre las diversas tecnologías inteligentes en su entorno, incluidos los enrutadores Wi-Fi públicos y las cámaras de seguridad. Estas caminatas tienen como objetivo evaluar el sentimiento público sobre la presencia y las implicaciones de tales tecnologías en los entornos urbanos.

Gwen Shaffer, professeur à l'Université d'État de Californie à Long Beach, a mené des 'promenades de données' à Long Beach, en Californie, pour sensibiliser les résidents aux diverses technologies intelligentes présentes dans leur environnement, y compris les routeurs Wi-Fi publics et les caméras de sécurité. Ces promenades visent à évaluer le sentiment public concernant la présence et les implications de ces technologies dans les milieux urbains.

Gwen Shaffer, a professor at California State University, Long Beach, has been conducting 'data walks' in Long Beach, California, to educate residents about the various smart technologies in their environment, including public Wi-Fi routers and security cameras. These walks aim to gauge public sentiment regarding the presence and implications of such technologies in urban settings.

Citizens of Smart Cities Need a Way to Opt Out

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/olaf-the-snowman-animatronic-with-details-in-a-tech-workshop-setting.png?id=62240105&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C30%2C0%2C31"/><br/><br/><p><span>Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at </span><em>IEEE Spectrum</em><span> robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please </span><a href="mailto:automaton@ieee.org?subject=Robotics%20event%20suggestion%20for%20Video%20Friday">send us your events</a><span> for inclusion.</span></p><h5><a href="https://sosv.com/announcing-sosvs-vc-founder-robotics-matchup-dec-1-5/">SOSV Robotics Matchup</a>: 1–5 December 2025, ONLINE</h5><h5><a href="https://2026.ieee-icra.org/">ICRA 2026</a>: 1–5 June 2026, VIENNA</h5><p>Enjoy today’s videos!</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><div style="page-break-after: always"><span style="display:none"> </span></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="eopn02bmzre"><em>Step behind the scenes with Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development and discover how Disney uses robotics, AI, and immersive technology to bring stories to life! From the brand new self-walking Olaf in World of Frozen and BDX Droids to cutting-edge attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, see how magic meets innovation.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ab51a8c766fd013ce9101e6f32b7c98a" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EoPN02bmzrE?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/robotic-olaf-marks-new-era-of-disney-innovation/">Disney Experiences</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="qumzgbjcjiq"><em>We just released a new demonstration of Mentee’s V3 humanoid robots completing a real world logistics task together. Over an uninterrupted 18-minute run, the robots autonomously move 32 boxes from eight piles to storage racks of different heights. The video shows steady locomotion, dexterous manipulation, and reliable coordination throughout the entire task.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a61129a6edb233aba3577e15b39b65b8" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QumzgbjcjiQ?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>And there’s an uncut 18 minute version of this at the link.</p><p>[ <a href="https://menteebot.com/blog/#menteebot-warehouse-task">MenteeBot</a> ]</p><p>Thanks, Yovav!</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="ennbdqn-kik"><em>This video contains graphic depictions of simulated injuries. Viewer discretion is advised.<br/><br/></em><em>In this immersive overview, guided by the <a data-linked-post="2672028008" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/video-friday-darpa-triage-challenge" target="_blank">DARPA Triage Challenge</a> program manager, retired Army Col. Jeremy C. Pamplin, M.D., you’ll experience how teams of innovators, engineers, and DARPA are redefining the future of combat casualty care. Be sure to look all around! Check out competition runs, behind-the-scenes of what it takes to put on a DARPA Challenge, and glimpses into the future of lifesaving care.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a657bcedbcb15eb9326be332bb5af8e4" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eNnbdQN-Kik?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>Those couple of minutes starting at 6:50 with the human medic and robotic teaming was particularly cool.</p><p>[ <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/news/2025/dart-msai-triumph-darpa-triage-challenge">DARPA</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><p class="rm-anchors" id="tpwica33pra">You don’t need to build a humanoid robot if you can just make existing humanoids a lot better.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="70f0a55c83d6abdcda0bea8c90dd486a" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tpwiCa33prA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>I especially love 0:45 because you know what? Humanoids should spend more time sitting down, for all kinds of reasons. And of course, thank you for falling and getting up again, albeit on some of the squishiest grass on the planet.</p><p>[ <a href="https://flexion.ai/">Flexion</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><p class="rm-anchors" id="rmdgk0cmok8">“Human-in-the-Loop Gaussian Splatting” wins best paper title of the week.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1a8c3c3320f4713fdc33df09f0ec010" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RmDgk0cmOk8?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11248882">Paper</a> ] via [ <em>IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters</em> in <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=7083369" target="_blank">IEEE Xplore</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><p class="rm-anchors" id="jrhiymdj2ne">Scratch that, “Extremum Seeking Controlled Wiggling for Tactile Insertion” wins best paper title of the week.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dfd4493d893ae72e3c7e4f0c10de93df" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jRHIyMdj2NE?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://prg.cs.umd.edu/ESTac">University of Maryland PRG</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><p class="rm-anchors" id="2lm3bztr_sy">The battery swapping on this thing is... Unfortunate.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="174e31ca2690e695bac7dfcad6359487" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2lm3bzTr_sY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://www.limxdynamics.com/en/tron1">LimX Dynamics</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="sjfco_k6a_m"><em>To push the boundaries of robotic capability, researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in collaboration with The University of Washington and Google Deepmind, have developed a new tactile sensing system that enables four-legged robots to carry unsecured, cylindrical objects on their backs. This system, known as LocoTouch, features a network of <a data-linked-post="2655469779" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/robot-facebook" target="_blank">tactile sensors </a>that spans the robot’s entire back. As an object shifts, the sensors provide real-time feedback on its position, allowing the robot to continuously adjust its posture and movement to keep the object balanced.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5541c95baad8a29a1a48d4b2ffacad7" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sjfCO_k6a_M?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://engineering.cmu.edu/news-events/news/2025/11/21-locotouch.html">Carnegie Mellon University</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><p class="rm-anchors" id="4rr82-7octq">This robot is in more need of googly eyes than any other robot I’ve ever seen.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="54e713b0d43f7dfb3e83e3e8dad99942" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Rr82-7OCtQ?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11261865">Zarrouk Lab</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="dg3-cisoag0"><em>DPR Construction has deployed Field AI’s autonomy software on a quadruped robot at the company’s job site in Santa Clara, CA, to greatly improve its daily surveying and data collection processes. By automating what has traditionally been a very labor intensive and time consuming process, Field AI is helping the DPR team operate more efficiently and effectively, while increasing project quality.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="98df34a4c06e98e0d1da40c83d7a5d17" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dG3-CIsoaG0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://www.fieldai.com/">FieldAI</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="0cfmcozmjzi"><em>In our second episode of AI in Motion, our host, Waymo AI researcher Vincent Vanhoucke, talks with a robotics startup founder Sergey Levine, who left a career in academic research to build better robots for the home and workplace.</em></blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cfdfc722909147e84af368f85abd1846" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0CfMCOzmJZI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>[ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCkt0hth826G9AtnOrQsPbKKD5JmdaMXb">Waymo</a> ]</p><div class="horizontal-rule"></div>

قدمت ديزني نسخة روبوتية جديدة واقعية من أولاف، رجل الثلج المحبوب من فيلم الرسوم المتحركة فروزن، مما يمثل ظهوره الأول في المنتزهات الترفيهية. يعرض هذا الروبوت المتقدم رسومات مذهلة وواقعية، مما يعكس تقدمًا كبيرًا في قدرات ديزني التكنولوجية.

Disney ha presentado una nueva versión robótica realista de Olaf, el querido muñeco de nieve de la película animada Frozen, marcando su debut en los parques temáticos. Este animatrónico avanzado muestra una animación y un realismo notables, reflejando avances significativos en las capacidades tecnológicas de Disney.

Disney a présenté une nouvelle version robotique réaliste d'Olaf, le bonhomme de neige bien-aimé du film d'animation La Reine des Neiges, marquant ses débuts dans les parcs à thème. Cet animatronique avancé présente une animation et un réalisme remarquables, reflétant des avancées significatives dans les capacités technologiques de Disney.

Disney has introduced a new lifelike robotic version of Olaf, the beloved snowman from the animated film Frozen, marking its debut in theme parks. This advanced animatronic showcases remarkable animation and realism, reflecting significant advancements in Disney's technological capabilities.

Citizens of Smart Cities Need a Way to Opt Out

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