[Explainer] What Is a Control Barrier Function? How Robots Enforce a Mathematical Safety Boundary

Robot arm redirecting an unsafe path through a control barrier function

A control barrier function can preserve a robot’s nominal command while minimally correcting inputs that would cross a defined safety boundary. This explainer covers safe sets, quadratic-program safety filters and the practical limits imposed by sensing delays, model error, infeasible constraints and independent safeguards.

[Explainer] What Is a World Model? How Robots Imagine the Future Before Acting

Robot comparing several predicted futures before acting

A robot world model predicts how the environment may change under candidate actions, helping with planning, evaluation and training. This explainer covers action-conditioned prediction, real robot examples and why visually plausible futures still require closed-loop validation and independent safety controls.