Google has unveiled two new artificial intelligence models designed specifically for robotics, leveraging its Gemini 2.0 model. This move aligns with the tech giant’s efforts to support the rapidly advancing robotics industry, which has seen significant progress due to improvements in AI and machine learning.
According to industry experts, AI-driven enhancements have accelerated the commercialization of robots, particularly in industrial environments. Google’s latest development follows a recent shift in the robotics landscape, as Figure AI, a robotics startup, ended its partnership with OpenAI after making an internal breakthrough in AI for robots.
The first model, Gemini Robotics, is an advanced vision-language-action model, allowing robots to generate output through physical actions. The second, Gemini Robotics-ER, is designed to provide a deeper understanding of spatial environments, enabling developers to integrate their own programs while utilizing the reasoning capabilities of Gemini 2.0.
Google stated that these models are adaptable to a wide range of robotic systems, including humanoid robots and machines used in manufacturing and logistics. AI-powered robotics solutions, such as those developed by Google and OpenAI, can help startups lower development costs and accelerate product deployment in the market.
The Gemini Robotics model has been tested on Google’s bi-arm robotics platform, ALOHA 2, and can also be customized for more complex applications, such as Apptronik’s Apollo robot. Apptronik recently secured $350 million in funding, with support from Google, to expand production of AI-driven humanoid robots.
Google has a history in the robotics sector, having acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013. However, the company later sold the renowned robotics firm—famous for its quadruped and humanoid robots—to SoftBank Group Corp about four years later.
