Company says new computers can enable on-robot generative models
Nvidia has launched a new computing module for humanoid robots.
The GPU giant this week announced the general availability of the Jetson AGX Thor developer kit and production modules. The company says the module will enable robots to use generative AI models locally.
Powered by a Blackwell GPU and featuring 128GB of memory, Jetson Thor delivers up to 2,070 FP4 teraflops of AI compute within a 130-watt power envelope. The company said the new computer delivers up to 7.5x higher AI compute and 3.5x greater energy efficiency compared to its predecessor, Jetson Orin.
Nvidia first announced Jetson Thor back in March 2024 alongside Project GR00T, a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots. At the time, Nvidia billed the computer as based on its Thor system-on-a-chip (SoC) and designed for humanoid robots.
Early adopters of the new module include Agility Robotics, Amazon Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Caterpillar, Figure, Hexagon, Medtronic, and Meta. 1X, John Deere, OpenAI, and Physical Intelligence are reportedly "evaluating" Jetson Thor.
“We’ve built Jetson Thor for the millions of developers working on robotic systems that interact with and increasingly shape the physical world,” said Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang. “With unmatched performance and energy efficiency, and the ability to run multiple generative AI models at the edge, Jetson Thor is the ultimate supercomputer to drive the age of physical AI and general robotics.”
Nvidia first launched the Jetson platform, with the TK1 development board, back in 2014.
“The development of capable humanoid robots hinges on our ability to run powerful AI models directly on the robot, enabling real-time learning and interaction,” said Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of Figure. “Nvidia Jetson Thor’s server-class performance, delivered within a compact and power-efficient design, allows us to deploy the large-scale generative AI models necessary for our humanoids to perceive, reason, and act in complex, unstructured environments.”
“The future of robotics in logistics depends on the ability to deploy increasingly intelligent and autonomous systems,” added Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotics. “Nvidia Jetson Thor offers the computational horsepower and energy efficiency necessary to develop and scale the next generation of AI-powered robots that can operate safely and effectively in dynamic, real-world environments, transforming how we move and manage goods globally.”
Agility Robotics, a developer of humanoid robotics, has integrated Jetson into the fifth generation of its robot, Digit — and plans to adopt Jetson Thor as the onboard compute platform for the sixth generation of Digit. Boston Dynamics is integrating Jetson Thor into its humanoid robot, Atlas.
The developer kit includes a Jetson T5000 module, a reference carrier board, an active heatsink with a fan, and a power supply. They are available now, starting at $3,499; Jetson T5000 modules are available starting at $2,999 for 1,000 units.
Chinese robotics firm Galbot said this week it is integrating Jetson AGX Thor into its G1 Premium robot.
Source: DCD
