Bridging Wuxi and Silicon Valley through global robotics research

Zhu Junfan, a Wuxi‑born researcher, has built a fast‑growing cross‑border research network linking robotics innovators in Silicon Valley and China.

What started as casual weekend discussions has evolved into a growing community exploring world models and embodied intelligence — the long‑sought capability for robots to perceive and act naturally in real‑world settings. This grand technical vision is still far from reality.

"I kept seeing a paradox: world models can produce lifelike predictions in simulations and benchmark tests, yet often fail to guide robots to take correct real‑world actions," Zhu said. To tackle this gap, he founded the Saturday Robotics & World Models Reading Club.

Since its launch in March, the club has hosted more than 30 sessions, attracting over 3,700 subscribers to its event listings as of October. Zhu curates research papers, selects speakers and moderates group discussions.

The club has since taken its discussions beyond regular meet-ups, collaborating with startups and corporate research labs on events held alongside major academic conferences. A research night held alongside CVPR 2026 in Denver, Colorado, which the club co-hosted with Hong Kong-listed Manycore Tech, drew more than 600 applications.

"Silicon Valley is where the world's robotics researchers come to compare notes," Zhu said. "Our job is to get the strongest ideas into the same room, wherever they come from, and see which ones hold up outside the lab."

The club has earned wide recognition within the industry. Nan Tian, senior manager of robotics at Samsung Research America, joined club events in several cities and later co‑organized one session. "Saturday Robotics has become a genuine convening point," Nan commented.

The club has held an event in Beijing on the sidelines of the World Robot Conference in August, plus a research night at the IROS robotics conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sept 28.