Nvidia has announced a major step into the future with the release of it's new 'robot brain', allowing anyone to pay the understandably crazy upfront cost to create their very own robot.
The image of Nvidia as a company that's predominantly focused on graphics cards now seems like a distant memory, as it has aggressively – and successfully, no doubt – pivoted into artificial intelligence and robotics, making it the most valuable public business in the world.
It has seen significant success by being the leading chipset used for AI development across the world, yet CEO Jensen Huang doesn't want to just limit opportunities to AI, as he sees robots as the company's next biggest growth opportunity.
Key to this is the release of what Nvidia is calling a "robot brain," and the futuristic piece of tech is now available for the public to buy — albeit at an insane price point.
What is Nvidia's 'robot brain'?
As reported by CNBC, the 'robot brain' in question is Nvidia's Jetson AGX Thor robotics chip module, and this is currently a developer kit that allows individuals to create a prototype that would make its way into a robot.
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Once an individual has achieved that it will then be able to purchase the official Thor T5000 module from Nvidia, which is able to be directly implemented into production-ready robots with the software that was tested on the Jetson AGX Thor module.
It arrives as part of Nvidia's push to become an enabler instead of a provider in the AI and robotics world, as instead of building their own complete tech, they provide the tools for others to create their own.
"We do not build robots, we do not build cars," outlines Nvidia's vice president of robotics and edge AI, Deepu Talla, "but we enable the whole industry with our infrastructure computers and the associated software."
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It's a far more powerful position for Nvidia to be in to have its software inside the tech that everyone else produces than relying on their own hardware emerging victorious — almost akin to nearly every PC running Windows instead of Microsoft releasing their own proprietary hardware.
Some of the companies that are currently using Nvidia's Jetson chips include Agility Robotics, Amazon, Boston Dynamics, and Meta, so it's clear that the plan is already a major hit with many of the world's most impactful enterprises.
How much does the Jetson AGX Thor cost?
While the Jetson AGX Thor module is theoretically open to anyone who wants to give it a try, you will have to fork up $3,499 for a developer kit alone, with an additional cost needed once you transition into the Thor T5000 modules.
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Nvidia does sell these at a discount if ordered in bulk, with units purchased in quantities over 1,000 only costing $2,999 per module, but it still represents a significant investment that might be difficult for small companies and solo developers.
Robotics currently represents only a fraction of Nvidia's overall revenue, making up roughly 1% of the staggering income it has generated in recent years, but it is rapidly growing and could become a key part of its business model alongside AI in the years to come.