NVIDIA showcased robots and autonomous systems that its technology powered in 2024

Key developments: A range of companies and researchers leveraged NVIDIA’s AI platforms to create robots for environmental cleanup, manufacturing, surgery, and agriculture.

• Hong Kong’s Clearbot deployed autonomous boats using NVIDIA Jetson technology to collect marine waste, operating for up to eight hours on battery power
• Figure unveiled its Figure 02 humanoid robot that utilizes NVIDIA Omniverse for manufacturing tasks and was tested at BMW’s South Carolina facility
• The ORBIT-Surgical framework, developed by an international research team, uses NVIDIA platforms to train surgical robots in complex medical procedures
• Boston-based Zordi employed NVIDIA technology in robots that autonomously grow and harvest strawberries in indoor farming environments

Technical implementation: NVIDIA’s AI platforms serve as the foundation for these diverse robotic applications, providing essential computing capabilities.

• The Jetson platform enables edge AI computing for autonomous operations
• Omniverse provides a development environment for robot simulation and training
• Isaac Sim allows companies to generate synthetic data for training robotic systems
• Project GR00T offers foundation models specifically designed for humanoid robots

Real-world applications: These robots address significant challenges across multiple industries.

• Clearbot tackles ocean pollution by removing plastic waste from waterways
• Figure 02 aims to transform manufacturing processes through autonomous task completion
• ORBIT-Surgical could reduce surgeon cognitive load during complex procedures
• Zordi’s agricultural robots enable sustainable, local food production with reduced carbon footprint

Future developments: The robotics landscape continues to expand beyond commercial applications.

• Students are developing guide dog robots for visually impaired individuals
• Research teams are training robots to handle diverse household tasks
• NVIDIA plans to showcase its three-computer robotics approach at the upcoming CES event

Industry trajectory: While these developments mark significant progress in robotics, substantial work remains to fully integrate these technologies into daily operations and prove their long-term viability in real-world settings.