Robotics researcher slams microfactory demo as 'too perfect' sim missing real-world contact dynamics

ChongZzZhang · x · 2026-10-06

Robotics researcher JieWangZJUI criticized a viral "microfactory" demo where an agent, two hours after being asked whether it could sew a leather cover onto a softball, produced a scripted demonstration.
He argues it's a bad example of sim usage for robotics and a misreading of the field's direction: every movement is "too perfect," ignoring the contact-rich dynamics and reactive feedback real-world tasks demand.
His verdict: script demos show a promising idea but can never actually work; they don't generalize to real robot manipulation.

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