ZurichRobotics #1

After two years and over 25 events of NLP and CV we are finally launching our Robotics series! We have many exciting topics and speakers in the pipeline here, thank you for all your patience and support. For the first one: Barnabas Gavin Cangan (ETHZ): Why Robot Hands are Hard: A Hands-On Perspective on Dexterous Manipulation Dexterous manipulation is a central challenge in robotics and embodied AI. Despite decades of progress, replicating the adaptability and sensory richness of the human hand remains elusive. In this talk, I will discuss the current state of the art in dexterous manipulation from two perspectives: the design and durability of robotic hands, and the use of learning-based methods for control. Drawing on our experiences in surgical robotics, I will share insights from building hardware for dexterous manipulation as well as lessons learned from applying learning-based approaches in practice. These perspectives highlight both the promise and the…