Across leading research institutions, robotics research is increasingly focused on extending human capability through meaningful human–robot collaboration. At Stanford University, this work is particularly focused on environments that are hazardous, remote, or otherwise inaccessible to people; by physically distancing humans from danger while still enabling their skills, intuition, and experience to guide robotic systems, they aim to redefine the future of work and remote operations. These developments illustrate the powerful synergy made possible through human-robot collaboration. From accessing new natural resources and delivering medical care in remote regions, to maintaining distant infrastructure and executing disaster response in extreme environments — whether deep underwater, underground, atop mountains, or in space — Professor Oussama Khatib shares how robotics research is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
