Dexterity

Dexterity lets humanoids interact meaningfully with the physical world: grasping tools, threading cables, handing over delicate objects. It allows them not just to pick things up, but to use their hands purposefully.

Language models can parse commands like “bring me the yellow bowl,” but physical manipulation demands fast, low-level control. Systems must account for friction, slippage, compliance, and contact uncertainty in real time.

Today’s best approaches combine trajectory optimization, tactile sensing, force feedback, and learned reflexes to perform in contact-rich, unstructured environments. The trend is shifting away from rigid scripts and brute-force actuation toward adaptive controllers that respond fluidly to what the robot feels, not just what it was told.