Avoiding the Engineering Trap: Focusing on Scientific Contributions in Robotics

Last week, a PhD student received a review for his paper stating, "In its current form, it seems more like a technical report rather than a scientific publication." I couldn't help but agree. In robotics, it is challenging not to stray from scientific research into engineering. When conducting research in robotics or developing a novel scientific method, it's often necessary to demonstrate that it works in the real world, which usually requires collecting real-world data. To achieve this, you need a fully functioning setup, which can take an incredibly long time, especially when dealing with multimodal data such as vision, language, gestures, robot motion, and so on.

After investing so much time in getting everything to work, PhD students (and not only them) are often eager to present the extensive effort required to set up their experiments. However, they sometimes forget that this is where their research should truly begin, and where they should start showcasing their novel scientific contributions. Setting up the experiment is not science; it’s engineering, and writing about it resembles technical documentation or a report. It’s as if mathematicians were to discuss how they learned derivations and equations in their papers, without ever presenting their novel findings. Setting a clear scientific goal, keeping it in mind, and then presenting the scientific contributions in your paper can be incredibly difficult, especially when engineering challenges arise that delay your progress for months.

Moreover, we often focus more on research than on actual science. Research, in the form of experimenting with different setups and combining various methods to tackle new tasks, is valuable, but science is about generating truly new ideas and methods. The world is filled with researchers who iteratively explore and improve upon existing options, but the number of true scientists—those who bring forth groundbreaking ideas—is relatively low. Let's remember this: focus on science, engage in research along the way, and strive not to get too sidetracked by engineering challenges. Constantly remind yourself of the problem you want to solve, the contributions you aim to make, and the impact of your research.