Hexagon, a measurement technologies company, has unveiled Aeon, a new humanoid robot developed in collaboration with Nvidia. Designed for industrial applications, Aeon aims to address anticipated labor shortages across various sectors by performing tasks such as manipulation, asset inspection, and "reality capture." This innovation leverages Nvidia’s advanced simulation and AI technologies to accelerate development and deployment.
Aeon: A New Era For Industrial Robotics
Aeon, the newly introduced humanoid robot, is poised to revolutionize industrial operations. Developed through a strategic partnership between Hexagon and Nvidia, Aeon is engineered to tackle a wide array of industrial tasks. These include precise manipulation, thorough asset inspection, and "reality capture," which involves digitizing real-world environments for simulation purposes. Hexagon plans to deploy Aeon across critical sectors such as automotive, transportation, aerospace, manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics.
Addressing Labor Shortages With Advanced Robotics
The introduction of Aeon is a direct response to the growing concern over labor shortages in key industries. Hexagon believes that humanoid robots like Aeon can significantly alleviate workforce pressures and enhance operational efficiencies. Deepu Talla, Vice President of Robotics and Edge AI at Nvidia, emphasized the crucial role of advancements in simulation and physical AI in accelerating the development of such sophisticated humanoids. Talla stated, "The age of general-purpose robotics has arrived," highlighting Aeon as a testament to the integration of Nvidia’s comprehensive robotics platform.
Nvidia’s Full-Stack Robotics Platform Powers Aeon
Aeon’s sophisticated capabilities are underpinned by Nvidia’s three-computer robotics platform:
- AI Supercomputers: Used for training and fine-tuning powerful foundation models.
- Nvidia Omniverse Platform: Provides simulation environments for testing and optimizing these models.
- Nvidia IGX Thor Robotic Computers: Responsible for running the deployed models.
This "simulation-first" approach, utilizing Nvidia’s Isaac platform, allowed Hexagon to rapidly develop Aeon. For instance, Aeon mastered core locomotion skills in under three weeks, a process that typically takes six months. This accelerated development was achieved through simulating actions like locomotion and manipulation, which Aeon then studied and emulated, with further refinement via reinforcement learning in Nvidia Isaac Lab.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagon and Nvidia collaborated to create Aeon, a humanoid robot for industrial use.
- Aeon is designed for tasks including manipulation, asset inspection, and reality capture.
- The robot aims to address labor shortages and improve efficiency in sectors like manufacturing and logistics.
- Nvidia’s AI supercomputers, Omniverse, and IGX Thor robotic computers power Aeon’s advanced capabilities.
- A "simulation-first" development approach significantly reduced Aeon’s training time.
Aeon is slated for initial pilot programs in factories and warehouses, where it will be used to scan a wide range of items, from small precision parts to large assembly lines.
Sources
- Humanoid Robot Created for Industrial Use; Nvidia Technology, IoT World Today.
