Marc Schmidt: killing sim2real gap will smash China's actuator moat, up to 60% of humanoid robot cost
MarcJSchmidt · x · 2026-11-03
Robotics founder Marc Schmidt argues that with the sim2real gap no longer a constraint, you can buy whatever actuator you want for your robot without needing it reproduced in simulation.
- He claims this will smash China's moat in actuators, which account for up to 60% of a humanoid robot's cost
- The reasoning: simulation-driven validation previously forced custom hardware iteration, a moat China's supply chain built; direct real-world learning bypasses it
- A contrarian take with real implications for embodied AI supply chains and US-China robotics competition
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