Physical AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that perceive, reason, and act in the physical world through sensors, actuators, and embodied control. Unlike purely digital AI, Physical AI connects software intelligence with real-world interaction, enabling robots, autonomous machines, and smart devices to move, manipulate objects, and respond to dynamic environments. This topic covers perception, motion planning, control systems, and learning-based behaviors used in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. It also explores simulation, digital twins, and real-world training methods that bridge the gap between virtual models and physical execution. As AI increasingly leaves the screen and enters the real world, Physical AI represents a critical foundation for scalable, intelligent machines operating outside controlled environments.
A video of a Unitree humanoid and an EngineAI robot trading punches and kicks in a San Francisco Bay Area storefront has gone viral, billed by organizers as the first public fight between robots from two different manufacturers.
Unitree Robotics has unveiled the GD01, a manned mecha the company describes as the world’s first production-ready civilian mecha vehicle, weighing approximately 500 kilograms including the driver and starting at 3.9 million yuan ($650,000).
Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a soft robotic arm modeled on the elephant trunk’s muscular architecture, capable of handling fragile objects and heavy loads with the same system, using 3D-printed pneumatic actuators and integrated optical sensing.
UBTECH Robotics and Hitachi China have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to deploy Walker S2 humanoid robots across Hitachi’s manufacturing operations, with elevator production already in active testing at Hitachi Elevator’s facility.
Unitree Robotics has launched UniStore, described as the world’s first humanoid robot application store, allowing users to browse, download, and install motion and task packages onto Unitree robots with a single tap from a smartphone app.
Tesla built its last Model S and Model X at Fremont on May 9, ending a combined 14-year production run as the company converts the assembly space to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, targeting one million units per year.
HD Hyundai Robotics has secured its first robotic welding order from a U.S. shipyard operator, supplying its ArcLift GO system to three Chouest Group facilities in North America and one in Brazil, as skilled welder shortages drive automation demand in American shipbuilding.
Despite record investment, viral demonstrations, and bold commercial timelines, the gap between what humanoid robots can do on camera and what they can reliably deliver in real industrial environments remains significant – and is being increasingly acknowledged by the people building them.
Genesis AI has unveiled GENE-26.5, a robotics foundation model paired with a human-scale robotic hand and a data-collection glove that enables 1:1 skill transfer from humans to robots, targeting complex long-horizon manipulation tasks at commercial scale.
1X Technologies has launched full-scale production of its NEO humanoid robot at a 58,000-square-foot facility in Hayward, California, with consumer shipments scheduled for 2026 and early units already operating on the factory floor to generate training data.