Shifting our lab's focus from algorithmic elegance to mechanical robustness was a controversial move

For years, our team prioritized developing sophisticated navigation algorithms in controlled environments, assuming hardware could catch up later. I insisted we halt this and begin stress-testing simple locomotor designs in unstructured settings from the start. This habit has uncovered fundamental stability issues our simulations never predicted, leading to a more resilient platform. While many colleagues favor software-first approaches, I'm convinced physical resilience must be foundational, not an afterthought.

4 comments

4 Comments

drew2779h ago

NASA's rovers need hardware first, algorithms second.

nguyen.angela1h ago

Hardware first? So algorithms are just an afterthought?

carter.joseph4h ago

Wait, your simulations never predicted those stability issues? That's wild to me, our sims always spit out perfect corner cases but reality throws curveballs like loose gravel or wet surfaces. Hard to believe code missed something as basic as weight shift on uneven terrain.

susansingh10h ago

Algorithmic elegance often enables robustness in unpredictable scenarios.