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Nvidia Unveils New Robotics, Gaming Chips, and Toyota Deal at CES 2025

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At CES 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed several groundbreaking products, showcasing the company’s ambitions to expand its business across robotics, gaming, and automotive technology. The announcements highlighted innovations in AI, gaming chips, and collaborations, including a new deal with Toyota.

One of the key highlights was the introduction of Nvidia’s Cosmos foundation models, which use artificial intelligence to generate photo-realistic video for robot and self-driving car training. By creating “synthetic” training data, these models simulate physical environments much more affordably than traditional data collection methods. Unlike the typical approach of placing cars on the road or having humans demonstrate tasks, Cosmos can generate videos based on a text description, adhering to the laws of physics. The models will be made available on an “open license,” much like Meta Platforms’ Llama 3 language models, which have seen widespread use in the tech industry. Huang expressed hopes that Cosmos could revolutionize robotics and industrial AI similarly to the impact Llama 3 has had on enterprise AI.

Despite the excitement, analysts, including Vivek Arya from Bank of America, raised concerns about whether the new robotics technology would substantially boost Nvidia’s sales. Arya questioned the challenge of making the products both reliable and affordable enough to create viable business models, similar to the niche opportunities of autonomous vehicles or the metaverse.

In addition to robotics, Nvidia unveiled new gaming chips, part of the RTX 50 series, that use Nvidia’s Blackwell AI technology. These chips aim to enhance gaming graphics, particularly through ‘shaders’ that add realistic imperfections to objects in video games, such as fingerprint smudges on surfaces. The new chips are also designed to improve the realism of human faces, which is a critical area of focus for developers. Prices for the chips range from $549 to $1,999, with the high-end models set to launch on January 30, followed by lower-tier models in February. Analysts, including Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies, expect these chips to drive short-term sales growth for Nvidia.

Nvidia also debuted its first desktop computer, Project DIGITS, which is designed for software developers rather than regular consumers. Priced at $3,000, the computer runs on Nvidia’s Linux-based operating system and includes the same AI chip used in the company’s data center products. The desktop, which features a central processor co-designed with Taiwan’s MediaTek, is expected to help individual developers quickly test their AI systems. Project DIGITS will be available in March.

Additionally, Huang announced that Toyota Motor will integrate Nvidia’s Orin chips and automotive operating system into several of its models to power advanced driver assistance features. Although the company did not specify which models would feature the technology, the partnership signifies a growing presence in the automotive sector. Nvidia projects automotive hardware and software revenue will reach $5 billion by fiscal 2026, up from an expected $4 billion in the current year.

Nvidia’s stock surged to a record high of $149.43, increasing its market valuation to $3.66 trillion, making it the second-most valuable listed company in the world, behind Apple.

Samsung Electronics Becomes Largest Shareholder of South Korea’s Rainbow Robotics

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Samsung Electronics has increased its investment in South Korea’s Rainbow Robotics, making it the largest shareholder in the robotics firm. According to a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Samsung has acquired a 267 billion won ($181 million) stake in Rainbow Robotics. Prior to this, Samsung was the second-largest shareholder with a 14.71% stake, or about 2.85 million shares. The largest shareholder at the time was the company’s founder, Oh Jun-ho, and related entities.

As part of this acquisition, Samsung is also establishing a new Future Robotics Office that will report directly to the CEO. This move reflects Samsung’s increasing commitment to the robotics industry, an area that is becoming a strategic focus for the technology giant. Samsung had previously made investments in Rainbow Robotics, but this latest development positions the company as a more dominant player in the robotics sector.

South Korean Team Develops ‘Iron Man’ Robot to Help Paraplegics Walk

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A team of researchers from South Korea’s Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a revolutionary lightweight wearable robot designed to help paraplegic individuals walk, maneuver obstacles, and even climb stairs. The robot, named the WalkON Suit F1, is a powered exoskeleton weighing 50 kg (110 lb) and is equipped with 12 electronic motors that mimic human joint movements, enabling its user to walk at speeds of up to 3.2 kph (2 mph).

The exoskeleton was developed by the Exoskeleton Laboratory team at KAIST, whose goal is to create a robot that can seamlessly integrate into the daily lives of people with disabilities. Kim Seung-hwan, a paraplegic member of the team, showcased the prototype by using it to walk, climb stairs, and even take sideways steps. One of its most distinct features is its ability to approach and lock onto the user, even when they are sitting in a wheelchair, to assist with standing up.

The robot is made from lightweight materials like aluminum and titanium, providing the strength needed to support its functions while keeping the overall weight manageable. Sensors located on the exoskeleton’s soles and upper body monitor the user’s movements 1,000 times per second, allowing the robot to anticipate their intentions and provide better balance. Additionally, cameras on the robot’s front help detect obstacles and identify the height of stairs, compensating for the sensory limitations of users with complete paraplegia.

Park Jeong-su, another member of the KAIST team, drew inspiration for the project from the film “Iron Man,” hoping to create a real-life solution for helping people through robotics. Kim Seung-hwan, while wearing the WalkON Suit F1, earned a gold medal in the exoskeleton category at the 2024 Cybathlon, an event where developers showcase assistive robots designed for individuals with various physical disabilities.

Kim shared his emotional motivation, stating that he wanted to show his son that he, too, was once able to walk and that he could share a wide range of experiences with him.