Who it is for
Students, researchers, founders, and buyers who understand the topic broadly but still need a guided first sequence.
Getting Started with Robot Learning
Start with the basics of robot learning, then move into guides, datasets, models, Academy paths, and implementation resources.
What this page is: the simplest starting point for newcomers who need a plain-language path into robot learning before diving into the hardware-specific Academy paths or specific products.
What to learn first
Use these guides to understand data collection, model selection, datasets, and how learning systems connect back to real hardware.
Where to go next
Move into Robotics Academy for structured hardware paths, the Glossary for precise definitions, or the Forum for practical questions.
Recommended next links: Robotics Academy, Guides, Resources, Glossary, Datasets, Models, and Forum.
Academy vs Developer Wiki — what's the difference?
The Robotics Academy (robotics-library/) is a structured learning path — concepts, role-based progressions, and guided exercises for students, educators, industry teams, and buyers who want to build understanding step by step. The Developer Wiki (wiki/) is a technical reference for practitioners actively working with SVRC hardware and SDKs: API docs, SDK quickstart, hardware-specific guides for VLAI L1 and LinkerBot O6. Start with Academy to build context; switch to Wiki when you need exact command syntax or SDK integration details.
How robot learning works — at a glance
Sense
Learn
Act
Learn
Step-by-Step Guides
How to Collect Robot Demonstration Data
Teleoperation, data format, best practices. A practical guide for imitation learning.
Read tutorial →What Makes Robot Data Learning-Ready
Quality, diversity, synchronization. How to collect data that actually trains.
Read more →OpenVLA vs Octo: Which Model to Choose
Compare the leading open-source VLA models. Architecture, data, fine-tuning.
Read comparison →Best Robot Learning Datasets 2025
DROID, BridgeData, Open X-Embodiment. Top datasets for imitation learning.
Read more →WidowX vs Franka vs ALOHA
Which robot for learning? Cost, DOF, data collection. Detailed comparison.
Read comparison →
Next Surfaces
Go deeper after the foundations
Robotics Academy is the best next step when you want structured hardware learning paths across OpenArm, dexterous hands, humanoids, teleop devices, and tactile systems. Continue in the SVRC Forum for build logs, questions, and hands-on troubleshooting.
Robotics Academy
Structured hardware curriculum: tutorials, communication, debugging, and downloads for modern robot systems.
Open Academy →SVRC Forum
Discuss Academy topics, share build logs, ask maintenance questions, and learn from the community tied to the same hardware paths.
Open Forum →OpenArm resource hub
Specs, software, safety, and buying — the product-side companion to the OpenArm Academy path.
OpenArm hub →
Reference
Catalogs & Glossaries
Robot Learning Datasets
DROID, BridgeData, Open X-Embodiment, ALOHA, LeRobot. Open-source datasets for training.
View datasets →VLA & VLM Models
OpenVLA, Octo, RT-X, Diffusion Policy. Pre-trained models for robot learning.
View models →Glossary
Imitation learning, RL, VLA, sim-to-real, teleoperation. Clear definitions.
Browse glossary →FAQ
Common questions: How much data? Which robot? Sim vs real?
Read FAQ →
Hardware
Get a Robot
Need hardware for data collection? Same-day pickup in Palo Alto. OpenArm, Mobile ALOHA, humanoids, quadrupeds.
View Products Request Data Collection