Being intentionally vague but with R&D you might not know exactly how to deliver the end goal, you're experimentally stabbing in the dark hoping to find something that works, or works well enough that you can take another step into the dark. Might need to retract and try something completely different but it's not a given that you have achieved anything substantial that won't be thrown out today or in a month.
That's what you could report in your status meetings. I tried X, but it failed because Y. Then I installed Z and tried doing X again and then this happened.
As a team lead, I'd be more interested in hearing what you're thought process has been and what you've tried rather than just hearing about the final outcomes.
