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Sim-to-Real Transfer

Training in simulation, deploying on real robots — bridging the reality gap.

What Is Sim-to-Real?

Sim-to-real transfer is the process of training robot policies in simulation (e.g., MuJoCo, Isaac Sim) and deploying them on physical hardware. The "reality gap" — differences in physics, sensing, and actuation — often causes policies to fail when transferred.

Techniques

  • Domain Randomization — Vary simulation parameters (lighting, textures, friction) to improve robustness.
  • Domain Adaptation — Fine-tune on real data after sim pre-training.
  • Real-World Data — Hybrid: sim for scale, real for fidelity. Often the most reliable.

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