Nvidia readies Jetson Thor computers for humanoid robots in 2025
Summary
Nvidia is set to bring its new technology for powering humanoid robots to market in the first half of 2025, aiming to stake its claim in the fast-growing robotics sector.
Nvidia is set to bring its new technology for powering humanoid robots to market in the first half of 2025, aiming to stake its claim in the fast-growing robotics sector, a senior company executive said.
First unveiled earlier this year, the Jetson Thor computers are part of Nvidia’s approach to developing humanlike robots, where advances in artificial intelligence have improved autonomy, enabling robots to interact better with humans and their surroundings.
Jetson Thor is the latest addition to Nvidia’s Jetson platform, a line of compact computers designed for AI applications, with the new model now focused on robotics.
At the company’s annual conference in March, Chief Executive Jensen Huang showcased a range of robots on stage with him, making a splash of Nvidia’s chips in these robotics systems.
Rather than competing directly in robot manufacturing—a sector where companies like Tesla have leveraged advancements in electronics and battery—Nvidia positions itself as a technology provider, akin to how Google supplies the Android platform to phone manufacturers.
Nvidia is targeting a fragmented market of “hundreds of thousands" of robot makers, in contrast to the concentrated smartphone market dominated by a few major players, Deepu Talla, Nvidia’s vice president of robotics and edge computing, told reporters Wednesday on the sidelines of an Nvidia conference in Tokyo.
“We’re providing a platform for robots; we are not building a robot," said Talla, pointing to partnerships with robot manufacturers like Siemens and Universal Robots.
Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, is expected to enter limited production by the end of 2025 for use within Tesla factories, with production likely ramping up for external customers by 2026, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X in July.
Nvidia’s Talla said the company supplies Tesla with technology for building humanoid robots, characterizing the automaker’s push as “advancing the market."
While autonomous vehicles have captured much attention in recent years, humanoid robotics also show significant potential. The technology could reshape human-machine interaction across various sectors, from manufacturing and construction to healthcare and home assistance.
However, Talla said that widespread deployment of production-quality humanoid robots is unlikely in 2025.
Humanoid robots are undergoing rapid development, led by major companies in the U.S. and China. To address issues such as labor shortages, China is making aggressive strides in humanoid robotics, from mechatronics to AI, Talla said.
—Asa Fitch and Becky Peterson contributed to this article.
Write to Yang Jie at jie.yang@wsj.com
