# The Robot That Learned to Scratch From Synthetic Humans

- slug: the-robot-that-learned-to-scratch-from-synthetic-humans
- date: 2026-04-13
- category: Robotics

Training a robot to scratch someone requires data. Five million Americans with paralysis cannot generate that data by demonstrating on themselves. CMU researchers solved it with synthetic training data — from a text prompt, entirely in simulation — with 80% real-world success.

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