• Jetson Thor becomes the robot brain. Nvidia’s module delivers 7.5× more AI compute and 3.5× greater efficiency than Orin, thanks to a 14‑core Arm Neoverse CPU and 425 Gb/s Holoscan sensor‑bridging . With 128 GB memory, it runs language and VLA models locally—spitting out 25 tokens per second —and is already powering robots from Agility, Boston Dynamics, Amazon Robotics and Medtronic . It frees humanoids from the cloud and anchors a new age of embodied intelligence.

• Isaac GR00T N1 gives robots a mind. Nvidia’s open foundation model uses a dual‑system architecture: a vision‑language System 2 plans and reasons, while reflex‑like System 1 executes continuous motions . Pre‑trained on human demonstrations and synthetic Omniverse data , it generalizes across tasks, can be fine‑tuned by developers , and is paired with Newton, an open‑source physics engine developed with Google DeepMind and Disney that promises 70× faster simulation .

• Sora 2 blurs cinema and simulation. OpenAI’s latest text‑to‑video model leaps from a GPT‑1 moment to a GPT‑3.5 moment for video, obeying physics (missed shots rebound off the backboard) , following intricate multi‑shot instructions and synchronizing speech and sound . Users can insert themselves into any scene with accurate appearance and voice , and a social Sora app hints at a world where personal movie‑making becomes daily communication.

• BotQ scales robots by building robots. Figure AI’s new factory can produce 12 000 humanoids per year , vertically integrating manufacturing and using robots to build robots . Injection molding and die‑casting slash part fabrication times from days to seconds , and the supply chain is engineered to scale to 100 000 robots and millions of actuators within four years . It’s an industrial push toward ubiquitous general‑purpose humanoids.

• Robots join Hyundai’s assembly lines. Boston Dynamics’ partnership with Hyundai will see Spot inspecting weld shops and the electric Atlas humanoid deployed in the automaker’s new Georgia plant . Hyundai leaders call physical AI “pivotal” , promising that humanoids will transform manufacturing. The collaboration makes Hyundai Boston Dynamics’ largest customer and signals mass adoption of factory‑ready humanoids.

•Unitree G1 democratizes humanoids. At $16,000 —a fraction of its $90 000 predecessor—the G1 stands 1.32 m tall, weighs 35 kg , and includes 3D LiDAR, depth cameras and noise‑cancelling microphones . It runs for two hours and can jump and execute evasive maneuvers . Ready for mass production, the G1 points toward affordable personal humanoids.

• Optimus learns Kung Fu and shares its brain. Tesla’s humanoid robot recently demonstrated kung‑fu‑like sparring with a human , but the real news is that Tesla’s self‑driving AI model will also run Optimus . Engineers boast they can “download” skills into the robot like Neo in The Matrix . A unified AI brain for cars and robots could accelerate learning and blur the boundaries between mobility and embodiment .

• The AI‑chip war fuels the arms race. Nvidia controls about 80 % of the AI accelerator market , but AMD’s MI300X, with 192 GB of HBM3 memory, is expected to generate $2 billion in revenue . Intel’s Gaudi chips aim to be 50 % cheaper than Nvidia’s H100 , which itself costs $25 k–$40 k . With the AI chip market projected to surge from $20 billion in 2020 to over $300 billion by 2030 , compute becomes the new industrial power grid powering robots and AI.

• Meta‑learning keeps drones on course. MIT’s adaptive controller teaches autonomous drones to handle unknown disturbances by learning from just 15 minutes of flight and automatically selecting the optimal algorithm . The system cuts trajectory tracking error by 50 % , allowing drones to deliver heavy parcels or fight wildfires despite gusty winds.

• Space robots extend humanity’s reach. Lunar Outpost’s MAPP became the first private US rover to reach the Moon; despite a tipped lander, it collected sensor data and tested LTE communications near the lunar south pole . Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle integrates a robotics payload to attach “jetpack” pods and repair satellites in geosynchronous orbit . These breakthroughs mark the dawn of autonomous infrastructure in space.