exp_all_changes/CHANGES.md

# exp_all_changes — what changed vs. main-branch FSM

This version applies **all four proposed fixes simultaneously** to compress the FSM
into the 20-second leaderboard eval window AND place objects more gently.

| Constant | Original (main) | This version | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| `_PHASE_DURATIONS_PER_OBJECT` | `(180, 130, 20, 160, 170, 15, 30)` = 705 steps | `(80, 70, 25, 70, 100, 30, 25)` = 400 steps | Cuts wasted idle time. Original took ~25s per pair; new ~13s. Lets a learned policy finish inside the 20s eval cap. |
| `_LIFT_Z_OFFSET` | `0.20` | `0.15` | Reduces vertical travel during transit. (Earlier 0.10 attempt was too low — held cutlery clipped the plate edge.) |
| `_RELEASE_Z_OFFSET` | `0.09` | `0.06` | Cutlery dropped from 9 cm bounced out of the 15 cm success radius. Lower drop = gentler placement. (Earlier 0.04 attempt put gripper fingers into the table.) |
| `_MAX_CARTESIAN_DELTA` | `0.018` | `0.020` | Slightly faster IK so the cut phase durations are still enough for the actual motion. (Earlier 0.025 was too aggressive — caused knock-offs.) |

## What the videos should show
- Faster overall execution (each episode ~13s vs ~25s)
- Lower transport altitude
- Cutlery placed more gently next to plate

## What this experiment is **NOT** testing
- Original FSM behavior (see `exp_heights_only` for that baseline)
- Eval policy timing — these are FSM rollouts, not trained-policy rollouts