Reasons Robotics Is Hard

Robots lag behind AI because physical intelligence demands complex hardware and control systems that current manipulators cannot match; human hands combine roughly 24 degrees of freedom, 17 000 tactile sensors, and coordinated sensory feedback, whereas existing robot hands achieve isolated attributes but lack the integrated flexibility, strength, durability, and reliability. Demonstrations often hide unresolved challenges such as robust sensor durability, precise joint coordination, and the ability to handle varied, unstructured environments.