Thursday, June 04, 2026

New research suggests consistency, not complexity, is the key to teaching robots dexterity

NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Teaching robots to manipulate objects with humanlike dexterity has long been one of robotics’ toughest challenges. Tasks such as rotating an object in-hand or coordinating two robot arms to maneuver a bulky item require constant changes in contact, grip and motion, skills that are difficult both to program and to demonstrate through human teleoperation.

Now researchers from NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the Robotics and AI Institute have shown that robots may be able to learn these behaviors from planning algorithms instead of human demonstrations. Their study, published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), suggests that the quality of synthetic training data matters more than researchers previously realized. The paper was recently awarded the IEEE RA-L Best Paper Award.

Modern robot-learning systems often rely on imitation learning, in which robots copy demonstrations collected from humans controlling robotic hardware remotely. But teleoperation systems are poorly suited for highly dexterous tasks involving many simultaneous contact points and finger movements. To bypass that limitation, the researchers used motion-planning algorithms to automatically generate demonstrations inside physics simulations. The idea was to let robots learn from virtual experience rather than from people. But the team discovered a problem: popular planning systems known as rapidly exploring random trees, or RRTs, produce demonstrations that are too inconsistent.

“These planners are very good at finding solutions,” says lead author Huaijiang Zhu. “But when every solution looks different, the learning system struggles to figure out what behavior it should imitate.”

The team found that the planners’ randomness created what researchers call “high-entropy” data — demonstrations that solved the same task through wildly different motions. Although this diversity helps planners explore possible solutions, it makes imitation learning less effective.

To address the issue, the researchers developed alternative planning approaches that generated more consistent demonstrations. One method emphasized steady progress toward a goal rather than random exploration, while another reused a library of predefined motions to reduce variability.

The researchers tested the approach on two difficult manipulation problems. In one task, two robot arms had to rotate a large cylinder by 180 degrees while repeatedly changing their grips. In another, a dexterous robotic hand manipulated a cube in its palm to match target orientations. They found that robots trained on the more consistent demonstrations achieved much higher success rates than those trained on standard RRT-generated data, even when using relatively small datasets. In the dual-arm task, the improved system reached near-perfect performance with only 100 demonstrations.

The team also transferred the learned policies directly from simulation to real-world hardware without additional retraining. The dual-arm robot succeeded in 90 percent of physical trials, while the dexterous hand completed about 62 percent of its attempts.

The study highlights a growing shift in robotics research. Rather than treating classical motion planning and machine learning as separate approaches, scientists are increasingly combining them. In this case, planning algorithms effectively served as teachers for neural-network-based robot policies.

The findings also reinforce a broader lesson emerging across AI: more data is not always better. Carefully structured, consistent examples may teach machines more effectively than large quantities of noisy or highly variable demonstrations.

Challenges remain, particularly for tasks involving deformable objects or soft robotic hands that are difficult to simulate accurately. But the work suggests a future in which robots learn increasingly sophisticated physical skills from virtual environments designed not just to produce solutions, but to produce solutions machines can understand.

Journal

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

DOI

10.1109/LRA.2025.3564701

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Should We Learn Contact-Rich Manipulation Policies From Sampling-Based Planners?

Stevie Nicks deepens her USC legacy with major gift

The newly established Stevie Nicks and Joseph Sugerman, MD, Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology honors the work of a distinguished USC alumnus and longtime collaborator.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

To Joseph Sugerman, MD, a leading ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist in Beverly Hills, human vocal cords are like finely tuned guitar strings or violins. They can be easily damaged by wear and tear and require the best of care to last a lifetime.

For nearly 50 years, Dr. Sugerman has been providing patient-centered, personalized care to performers and non-performers alike, helping them preserve and restore their voices and prevent and treat hearing loss, as well as other conditions of the ear, nose and throat.

As an adjunct faculty member in the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and distinguished alumnus of its Residency Program, he also has helped shape the careers of future ENT specialists.

Now, singer/songwriter Stevie Nicks—the first woman inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—has made a major gift to establish the Stevie Nicks and Joseph Sugerman, MD, Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology. Her contribution completed the $3 million goal for the endowed chair, which was also supported by generous gifts from other donors, all seeking to honor their longtime friend and caregiver.

Well-Deserved Recognition

“The Stevie Nicks and Joseph Sugerman, MD, Endowed Chair pays tribute to Dr. Sugerman’s extraordinary impact on patients, trainees, and the field of Otolaryngology,” said John S. Oghalai, MD, Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Professor, and Chair, USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. “We are deeply appreciative of the generous donors who contributed to the establishment of this chair.”

The inaugural holder of the Stevie Nicks and Joseph Sugerman, MD, Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology is Michael M. Johns, MD, director of the USC Voice Center, and a world-class expert in professional voice care.

The mission of the USC Voice Center, which Dr. Johns established in 2017, is to improve the quality of life for individuals with voice, swallowing, and airway disorders. The center achieves this goal through a true interprofessional approach to promoting health, preventing and curing disease, advancing biomedical research, and educating health care providers. It is a vibrant and growing center, with satellite clinics throughout Los Angeles.

“I am touched and humbled by the support of my patients who have extended themselves to create this endowed chair, which will be dedicated to advancing vocal medicine,” said Dr. Sugerman. “I’m especially excited that this will strengthen the outstanding programs at the USC Voice Center.”

Grateful Donors

The idea to recognize Dr. Sugerman’s accomplishments by raising $3 million to establish an endowed chair came from Anita May Rosenstein and her husband, Arnold. Other patients quickly stepped forward to express their gratitude to their one-of-a-kind ENT physician.

“I am deeply grateful to the donors who recognize the importance of an endowed chair as a means to ensure that our Voice Center work will flourish for years to come," said Carolyn Meltzer, Dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and May S. and John H. Hooval, MD, Dean’s Chair.

The giving cohort includes the Bloomfield Family Foundation, Barbara and Gary Brandt Family Foundation, James & Deborah Burrows Foundation, Crawford Family Foundation, Anne and Kirk Douglas Foundation, Lowell Milken Family Foundation, Arnold & Anita Rosenstein Family Foundation, The Fran and Ray Stark Foundation, and Howard Ruby.

Nicks is a solo artist and member of Fleetwood Mac, a pioneering American rock band she joined in 1974. Rolling Stone has called her the “Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll” and included her in its “100 Greatest Songwriters” and “100 Greatest Singers” of all time.

Her connection to USC dates back to 1979, when Fleetwood Mac invited the USC Trojan Marching Band to record the title track of their album, Tusk, at Dodger Stadium and to perform with them live on tour. The results led to both bands earning platinum albums.

Nicks has been no stranger throughout her stage and recording career to the value of an experienced hearing and vocal care specialist.

“Through late nights on the road, years of touring, hours in the recording studio, I always knew I could count on Dr. Sugerman to be there to help keep my voice healthy, just as he does for his other patients,” said Nicks. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to acknowledge his talent and insights and mark his many years of outstanding practice.”

About Dr. Joe Sugerman

Dr. Sugerman’s association with USC has been long and productive—for himself and the university. After graduating from the Chicago School of Medicine, he completed his internship at USC, followed by his ENT residency, also at the LAC-USC Medical Center, now known as the Los Angeles General Medical Center.

In 1978, Dr. Sugerman joined a prominent ENT practice in Beverly Hills, known for treating renowned singers. After the retirement of his mentor, he took over the clinic, which flourished under his leadership. Today, the walls of his clinic showcase gold records and platinum albums reflecting his status as a leading ENT specialist for many well-known performers.

The founding of the Stevie Nicks and Joseph Sugerman, MD, Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology represents another step forward in Dr. Sugerman’s shining career. With the appointment of the chair holder, Dr. Sugerman is excited to create the preeminent Voice Center on the West Coast, in collaboration with Dr. Oghalai and Dr. Johns.

“I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds,” said Dr. Sugerman.

Research Brief: Better land use and management could improve biodiversity, climate and economic development

University of Minnesota

Boundary where the Mau forest ends and becomes agricultural land near Bomet in Narok, Kenya. — image:
This paper helps provide information on where to locate crops and natural areas, such as forests, to achieve climate, biodiversity, and economic development goals. This photo shows a boundary where the Mau forest ends and becomes agricultural land near Bomet in Narok, Kenya.
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Credit: Kate Holt (WWF, UK).

National governments and multilateral institutions face difficult challenges reconciling environmental goals, such as biodiversity conservation and addressing climate change, with economic development goals.

In a first-of-its-kind analysis done for 146 countries around the world, an interdisciplinary research team led by researchers at the University of Minnesota found large potential gains in biodiversity, climate and economic development from improved land use and land management. The findings were recently published in Science.

The researchers integrated spatial biophysical and economic data with optimization methods to develop sustainable landscape efficiency frontiers for each of 146 countries included in the analysis. The landscape efficiency frontier in each country shows the maximally feasible combinations of biodiversity conservation (including both species and ecosystem measures), land-based climate mitigation (net carbon sequestration and methane emissions reductions) and net economic value from agricultural crops, livestock and forestry production. For example, the landscape efficiency frontier shows the highest economic value from agriculture and forestry for a given score for biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation, or the maximum climate mitigation possible for a given biodiversity score and economic values from agriculture and forestry. In most countries, land use and land management generates outcomes well inside their landscape efficiency frontier showing that simultaneous gains in environment and economic development are possible.

The analysis found:

Summing results across all 146 countries included in the analysis shows potential to increase climate mitigation by over 200 billion metric tons CO2 equivalents (>20% increase) or net economic value by over $350 billion (>80% increase) without loss in other objectives important for carbon sequestration and biodiversity and expansion of agriculture and
These gains occur both from land reallocation, involving selective restoration of forestry areas in highly productive lands, and crop intensification, especially in lower-income countries with current low-yield agriculture.

“We know we're facing both a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis but, usually, the pushback against doing something about either is that it's going to cost too much,” said lead author Stephen Polasky, a Regents Professor and co-founder of NatCap TEEMs in the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences. “One of the main reasons for doing this study was to show, in fact, that there are ways where we can be more efficient and address climate and biodiversity without bankrupting people.”

The research team discusses the analysis in greater detail here.

According to Polasky, this information is useful for organizations involved in supporting and financing development, such as international finance institutions, to help them better direct their resources and support for countries in a way that helps them meet their national goals but, at the same time, meet international commitments for biodiversity, conservation, climate change, and adaptation.

“One of the advantages we find from doing this analysis is that we show people what's possible, and that tends to open their minds to thinking about a wider set of alternatives, when they can see the gain that could be had by making some of these changes. Then making some of the changes is not so scary,” said Polasky.

"This research proves that the supposed tradeoff between protecting nature and growing economies is false,” said Becky Chaplin-Kramer, Global Biodiversity Lead Scientist at World Wildlife Fund-US. “By mapping what's truly possible country by country, we've given policymakers and investors a roadmap to pursue biodiversity gains, climate mitigation, and development goals together."

NatCap TEEMs and its collaborators, including NatCap Insights, have started working with other partners to apply this work, including working with the World Bank to do country-specific analyses to answer their specific questions.

The research team added that there are also many ecosystem services and economic activities that are not yet included in this analysis, so there is much additional work that can be done to deepen that analysis.

Funding for the analysis was provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the University of Minnesota Fesler-Lampert Endowment, the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, World Resources Institute, and the World Bank.

About NatCap TEEMs
NatCap TEEMs (Natural Capital Alliance: The Earth-Economy Modelers) in the Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, aims to improve understanding of the integrated earth-economy system and to inform decision-making for sustainable development on a livable planet. NatCap TEEMs is a part of the Natural Capital Alliance, a global partnership whose mission is to pioneer science, technology, and partnerships that enable people and nature to thrive (formerly the Natural Capital Project). Learn more at natcapteems.umn.edu

About the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
The University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences strives to inspire minds, nourish people, and sustainably enhance the natural environment. CFANS has a legacy of innovation, bringing discoveries to life through science and educating the next generation of leaders. Every day, students, faculty, and researchers use science to address the grand challenges of the world today and in the future. CFANS offers an unparalleled expanse of experiential learning opportunities for students and the community, with 12 academic departments, 10 research and outreach centers across the state, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the Bell Museum, and dozens of interdisciplinary centers. Learn more at cfans.umn.edu

Sustainable landscape efficiency frontiers and current performance showing potential simultaneous gains for environmental and economic outcomes and tradeoffs for illustrative countries: (A) Haiti, (B) Iceland, (C) Gabon, and (D) Japan. The horizontal axis measures net economic value from agricultural crop production, livestock grazing, and forestry. The vertical axis is the geometric mean of climate mitigation and biodiversity scores. The optimization was performed in three dimensions (biodiversity, climate mitigation, net economic value) but represented in two dimensions, and hence the frontier is often thicker than a single line. Minimum and maximum scores in each country for each outcome are normalized to 0 and 1, with maximum environmental geometric scores often occurring at negative net economic value because of the incorporation of transition costs that outweigh positive net production value.

Credit

Stephen Polasky