Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yuhnzu Li: ‘Simulation is central’ - Robotics & Automation News

He also explains why warehouses, factories, laboratories, and retail environments are likely to see widespread robotic deployment before ordinary homes, and what still needs to happen before robots can operate reliably in truly unstructured environments.

Interview with Yunzhu Li

Robotics & Automation News: There has been enormous attention around humanoid robots recently, particularly around manufacturing scale and deployment targets. Do you think the industry is becoming overly focused on locomotion rather than real-world manipulation capability?

Yunzhu Li: I would not say the industry is ignoring manipulation. People understand that manipulation is critical for unlocking the real commercial potential of humanoid robots. R&AN: There is currently a huge amount of investment flowing into humanoid robotics. From your perspective, where do you think expectations are realistic, and where might the industry be overestimating near-term progress?

YL: Expectations around hardware, manufacturing, and locomotion are relatively realistic. We will continue to see humanoids become more capable, reliable, and easier to produce at scale.

Where I think expectations may be too aggressive is general-purpose manipulation in fully unstructured environments. I expect faster progress first in semi-structured settings, such as warehouses, factories, labs, or retail backrooms, where the environment can be partially standardized and the task distribution is clearer. Skip to primary navigation Skip to primary sidebar Skip to secondary sidebar

Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yunzhu Li: ‘Simulation is central’

by Sam Francis

The robotics industry is enjoying a surge of investment, media attention, and ambitious promises about the future of humanoid machines.

Companies are announcing plans to manufacture thousands of robots, while advances in artificial intelligence have fueled expectations that general-purpose robots may soon become commonplace in factories, warehouses, workplaces, and even homes.

Yet beneath the excitement lies a fundamental technical challenge that many researchers believe remains far from solved.