Nvidia has launched its Nvidia Jetson AGX Thor developer kit and production modules, powerful new “robotics computers designed to power millions of robots across industries including manufacturing, logistics, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, and retail.”
The debut of Nvidia’s Jetson Thor coincides with increased demand for robotics solutions, as sectors strive to enhance automation and efficiency. Early adopters of this innovative technology include industry giants such as Agility Robotics, Amazon Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Caterpillar, Figure, Hexagon, Medtronic, and Meta. Additionally, companies like 1X, John Deere, OpenAI, and Physical Intelligence are evaluating Jetson Thor to enhance their physical AI capabilities, highlighting a diverse interest from across the tech landscape.
Nvidia’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, emphasizes the monumental potential of this development: “We’ve built Jetson Thor for the millions of developers working on robotic systems that interact with and increasingly shape the physical world.” He further elaborates on the advanced capabilities of the platform, claiming, “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.” This sentiment reflects a broader vision for how AI can integrate seamlessly with robotics to revolutionize various industries.
The ‘ultimate platform’ for next-generation robotics
As the technological backbone, the Jetson Thor boasts an Nvidia Blackwell GPU and a stellar 128GB of memory. It delivers a striking 2,070 FP4 teraflops of AI compute, efficiently operating within a modest 130-watt power envelope. This development marks a significant step up from its predecessor, the Nvidia Jetson Orin, with performance enhancements of up to 7.5 times higher AI compute and 3.5 times greater energy efficiency. The robust architecture allows for the seamless execution of demanding AI models, such as vision language action models, providing a streamlined experience for developers.
One of the standout features of Jetson Thor is its ability to handle multi-AI workflows. This capability is crucial for facilitating intelligent interactions between robots and their environments in real time. Nvidia posits that Jetson Thor is a game-changer for industries reliant on physical AI applications, from humanoid robotics to agriculture and surgical assistance, contributing to what they term “the age of general robotics.”
Global robotics leaders build on Jetson Thor
The Jetson Thor platform is powered by a comprehensive software stack tailored for physical AI and humanoid robotics. This stack supports a variety of popular AI frameworks and generative AI models, which makes it accessible for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, it integrates effortlessly with Nvidia’s software ecosystem, including tools designed for robotics simulation, vision AI, and real-time sensor processing.
Since its inception in 2014, Nvidia’s Jetson platform has garnered over 2 million developers and a growing ecosystem of more than 150 partners in hardware, software, and sensors. The previous generation, Jetson Orin, has enabled more than 7,000 customers to leverage edge AI across multiple sectors. The launch of Jetson Thor promises to extend these capabilities even further, enhancing the complexity and performance potential of visual AI agents and intricate robotic systems.
Early adopter reaction
Within the robotics community, the response to Jetson Thor has been overwhelmingly positive. Tech leaders from premier robotics companies are enthusiastic about the significant performance improvements the platform brings to their next-generation robots. For instance, Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of Figure, comments on the critical need for capable humanoid robots: “The development hinges on our ability to run powerful AI models directly on the robot, enabling real-time learning and interaction.” The compact and power-efficient design of Jetson Thor is seen as a major advantage, allowing for the deployment of large-scale generative AI models needed for complex tasks.
Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotics, underscores the importance of this technology in logistics: “The future of robotics in logistics depends on the ability to deploy increasingly intelligent and autonomous systems. Nvidia Jetson Thor offers the computational horsepower and energy efficiency necessary to develop and scale the next generation of AI-powered robots.” The capacity to operate safely in dynamic, real-world environments is a game-changer for the industry.
Joe Creed, CEO of Caterpillar, also highlights the transformative potential of Jetson Thor: “As autonomous machines tackle more complex tasks, edge computing is critical for real-time decision-making. Nvidia Jetson Thor offers the AI performance needed to develop and deploy construction and mining equipment of the future.” Such endorsements from industry leaders showcase the wide-ranging implications of this cutting-edge technology.
Availability
The Nvidia Jetson AGX Thor developer kit is now available for purchase, starting at $3,499. Those interested in adopting the technology can also obtain Jetson T5000 production modules through various global distribution partners. Additionally, production systems and carrier boards can be secured from embedded partners, making this revolutionary technology accessible for developers eager to stay at the forefront of AI-driven robotics.