Robot Hardware and Software is Still Clunky
Robots have the potential to revolutionize manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries—but only if they are both affordable and capable of high performance. Today’s robotic hardware is often prohibitively expensive and built using legacy designs that do not prioritize cost reduction, modularity, or scalability. Moreover, many robots struggle with dexterity and tactile sensing, and current design practices decouple hardware and software, preventing a co-evolution that could unlock new performance regimes. Overcoming these limitations requires a rethinking of both robot morphology and control, with an emphasis on integrated design, cost-effective production, and enhanced functionality.
Foundational Capabilities (7)
Create advanced robot bodies that leverage novel materials, innovative design principles, and improved manufacturing and control techniques to enhance dexterity while reducing cost.
Develop novel actuator technologies that combine hybrid or mode-switching capabilities with power-dense magnetic actuation. These improvements would allow robots to seamlessly transition between compliant and stiff modes, mimicking biological muscle performance while enhancing energy efficiency.
Employ lithographic techniques and advanced nanofabrication to create tiny robots with high precision. Scalable production of nanoscale robotic systems could enable breakthroughs in medicine (e.g., targeted drug delivery) and materials science.
Develop multimodal electronic skin (e-skin) that enables robots to detect force vectors, slippage, and temperature across large surface areas. Enhanced tactile perception will facilitate fine-grained control and more adaptive interactions with the environment.
Integrate hardware and software design processes to co-evolve robot bodies alongside control policies. This approach reduces inefficiencies caused by decoupled design methods and can unlock entirely new performance regimes.
Design mobile robots with streamlined, efficient designs. Reduce unnecessary degrees of freedom for simpler, cheaper, and more reliable mobility platforms.