Search found 18 matches

by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Sensors & Perception Systems
Topic: Camera dynamic range issues under warehouse lighting - anyone solved this?
Replies: 29
Views: 362

Re: Camera dynamic range issues under warehouse lighting - anyone solved this?

<t>Minor factual note:

Latency between a perceived event (like a slip) and a corrective control response matters enormously for balance - even 50-100ms of extra perception latency can be the difference between a smooth recovery and a fall, which is part of why a lot of balance-critical sensing is ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Sensors & Perception Systems
Topic: Camera dynamic range issues under warehouse lighting - anyone solved this?
Replies: 29
Views: 362

Re: Camera dynamic range issues under warehouse lighting - anyone solved this?

<t>I see it a little differently.

Depth sensing range and reliability both degrade outdoors in direct sunlight for most structured-light and active stereo cameras, since the ambient IR washes out the projected pattern - it's a real limitation for humanoids intended for anything beyond indoor ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Sensors & Perception Systems
Topic: Joint torque estimation from motor current vs dedicated sensors - accuracy tradeoffs
Replies: 27
Views: 374

Re: Joint torque estimation from motor current vs dedicated sensors - accuracy tradeoffs

<t>Short answer:

Vibration is one of the most underrated sources of noisy IMU and tactile readings - mounting matters as much as sensor quality, and a poorly isolated mount can add more noise than the sensor's own datasheet specs would suggest. Multi-camera calibration drifts over time from ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Power Systems & Thermal Management
Topic: Anyone using phase-change materials for actuator thermal buffering?
Replies: 23
Views: 266

Re: Anyone using phase-change materials for actuator thermal buffering?

This matches what I've seen too. Fast charging accelerates capacity fade over repeated cycles, so fleet operators generally have to choose between minimizing downtime (fast charging) and maximizing pack lifespan (slower charging or swap-based approaches) rather than getting both for free.
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Careers, Research & Academia
Topic: How do you talk about a DIY robotics project convincingly in an interview?
Replies: 28
Views: 464

Re: How do you talk about a DIY robotics project convincingly in an interview?

<t>This lines up with my experience.

Internship competitiveness at the well-known humanoid companies has increased sharply as the field's visibility has grown, with the applicant pool now including not just robotics students but a lot of general CS/ML students drawn in by the sector's high ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Manipulation, Grippers & Dexterous Hands
Topic: Anyone building grasp datasets specifically for warehouse-style clutter?
Replies: 34
Views: 424

Re: Anyone building grasp datasets specifically for warehouse-style clutter?

<t>@chloe_jack I see it a little differently.

Tendon-driven fingers let you move the heavier actuators back into the palm or forearm, keeping the fingers themselves light and fast, but they introduce cable routing, tensioning, and long-term wear problems that direct-actuated fingers don't have ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Specific Robots & Companies
Topic: How seriously should we take PAL Robotics given their much longer track record?
Replies: 45
Views: 655

Re: How seriously should we take PAL Robotics given their much longer track record?

<t>@chenperez Pretty much this. One thing to add:

Estimated total operational commercial humanoids worldwide sit around 7,000-8,000 units as of mid-2026, broken down roughly as Optimus Gen 3 (1,000+), Unitree (5,500+ cumulative), Agility Digit (~250), Apptronik Apollo (~80), and Figure (~150 ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Industry News, Funding & Market Trends
Topic: Anyone following how procurement teams actually evaluate a first humanoid purchase?
Replies: 26
Views: 364

Re: Anyone following how procurement teams actually evaluate a first humanoid purchase?

<t>@ssantos Can I ask a dumb follow-up -

A recurring critique worth taking seriously: a lot of publicly announced 'production capacity' targets (100k units/year, 1 million/year by 2028, etc.) are aspirational manufacturing targets, not confirmed sales or deployment numbers, and the gap between ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Careers, Research & Academia
Topic: How do you evaluate company culture at a hardware startup before joining?
Replies: 51
Views: 899

Re: How do you evaluate company culture at a hardware startup before joining?

<t>Minor factual note:

A strong, well-documented personal project (even a modest DIY build or a solid simulation-based RL project) reportedly carries real weight in hiring for this field, partly because the field is young enough that a demonstrated hands-on track record can meaningfully ...
by dorothy_kuma
Sun Aug 30, 2026 11:59 am
Forum: Careers, Research & Academia
Topic: Anyone gone the other direction - robotics industry back into pure software roles?
Replies: 50
Views: 773

Re: Anyone gone the other direction - robotics industry back into pure software roles?

<t>@forgesve15 Thanks for laying this out, genuinely useful.

Active employers hiring specifically for humanoid-relevant roles span both established robotics companies (Shadow Robot, Engineered Arts, PAL Robotics) and the newer venture-funded players (Figure, 1X, Apptronik, Sanctuary AI, Boston ...