mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

10 Open Challenges Steering the Future of Vision-Language-Action Models

arXiv 2511.05936 ↗First posted 8 Nov 2025cs.RO cs.AIcited by 2

On the map: Vision-language-action models → Generalist VLA models and benchmarks

Abstract (arXiv)

Due to their ability of follow natural language instructions, vision-language-action (VLA) models are increasingly prevalent in the embodied AI arena, following the widespread success of their precursors -- LLMs and VLMs. In this paper, we discuss 10 principal milestones in the ongoing development of VLA models -- multimodality, reasoning, data, evaluation, cross-robot action generalization, efficiency, whole-body coordination, safety, agents, and coordination with humans. Furthermore, we discuss the emerging trends of using spatial understanding, modeling world dynamics, post training, and data synthesis -- all aiming to reach these milestones. Through these discussions, we hope to bring attention to the research avenues that may accelerate the development of VLA models into wider acceptability.

Key facts. Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Generalist VLA models and benchmarks, one of 13 directions in Vision-language-action models. Builds on 32 of its 43 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 8 Nov 2025.

Builds on

32 of 43 references.

Closest ancestors · 3

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2025Fine-Tuning Vision-Language-Action Models: Optimizing Speed and Success27 Feb
  2. 2024A Survey on Vision-Language-Action Models for Embodied AI23 May
  3. 2023RT-2: Vision-Language-Action Models Transfer Web Knowledge to Robotic Control28 Jul

Other references · 29

  1. 2021Learning Transferable Visual Models From Natural Language Supervisioncited by 33,456
  2. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  3. 2023LLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Modelscited by 13,958
  4. 2023Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Modelscited by 12,865
  5. 2024DeepSeekMath: Pushing the Limits of Mathematical Reasoning in Open Language Modelscited by 8,851
  6. 2023Direct Preference Optimization: Your Language Model is Secretly a Reward Modelcited by 7,916
  7. 2023Qwen Technical Reportcited by 3,273
  8. 2023Sigmoid Loss for Language Image Pre-Trainingcited by 3,048
  9. 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusioncited by 2,730
  10. 2022RT-1: Robotics Transformer for Real-World Control at Scalecited by 2,007
  11. 2023LIBERO: Benchmarking Knowledge Transfer for Lifelong Robot Learningcited by 1,338
  12. 2024DROID: A Large-Scale In-The-Wild Robot Manipulation Datasetcited by 801
17 more
  1. 2025SpatialVLA: Exploring Spatial Representations for Visual-Language-Action Modelcited by 502
  2. 2024Evaluating Real-World Robot Manipulation Policies in Simulationcited by 484
  3. 2024Mobile ALOHA: Learning Bimanual Mobile Manipulation with Low-Cost Whole-Body Teleoperationcited by 377
  4. 2025MolmoAct: Action Reasoning Models that can Reason in Spacecited by 189
  5. 2023PaLI-3 Vision Language Models: Smaller, Faster, Strongercited by 125
  6. 2025Universal Actions for Enhanced Embodied Foundation Modelscited by 80
  7. 2024UMI on Legs: Making Manipulation Policies Mobile with Manipulation-Centric Whole-body Controllerscited by 67
  8. 2023Introduction to Latent Variable Energy-Based Models: A Path Towards Autonomous Machine Intelligencecited by 52
  9. 2024Emma-X: An Embodied Multimodal Action Model with Grounded Chain of Thought and Look-ahead Spatial Reasoningcited by 45
  10. 2025CoMo: Learning Continuous Latent Motion from Internet Videos for Scalable Robot Learningcited by 37
  11. 2025VLA-Touch: Enhancing Vision-Language-Action Models with Dual-Level Tactile Feedbackcited by 37
  12. 2025Agentic Robot: A Brain-Inspired Framework for Vision-Language-Action Models in Embodied Agentscited by 30
  13. 2025AC-DiT: Adaptive Coordination Diffusion Transformer for Mobile Manipulationcited by 21
  14. 2024Learning Multi-Modal Whole-Body Control for Real-World Humanoid Robotscited by 16
  15. 2025HoMeR: Learning In-the-Wild Mobile Manipulation via Hybrid Imitation and Whole-Body Controlcited by 8
  16. 2023Contact-Implicit Model Predictive Control: Controlling Diverse Quadruped Motions Without Pre-Planned Contact Modes or Trajectoriescited by 3
  17. 2025Local Reactive Control for Mobile Manipulators with Whole-Body Safety in Complex Environmentscited by 1

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 2.

2 papers.

  1. 2026M3-ACE: Rectifying Visual Perception in Multimodal Math Reasoning via Multi-Agentic Context Engineeringcited by 1
  2. 2026M2-VLA: Boosting Vision-Language Models for Generalizable Manipulation via Layer Mixture and Meta-Skillscited by 0

Similar, not cited

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  5. 2025Efficient Vision-Language-Action Models for Embodied Manipulation: A Systematic Survey
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  8. 2025A Survey on Efficient Vision-Language-Action Models