
Layer 5 of NVIDIA’s stack extends beyond digital AI into the physical world: humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. This is the longest-term bet — and potentially the largest market.
The Physical AI Sectors
Humanoid Robots
- Figure — General-purpose humanoid for logistics and manufacturing
- 1X Technologies — NEO humanoid robot with advanced mobility
Autonomous Vehicles
- Wayve — End-to-end learned driving AI
- WeRide — Robotaxi platform in China and globally
Delivery & Logistics
- Serve Robotics — Sidewalk delivery robots
- Nuro — Autonomous delivery vehicles
Industrial Automation
- Agility — Warehouse robotics
- Covariant — Robotic manipulation AI
The Edge Chip Play: Jetson
Every robot needs on-device AI processing. NVIDIA’s Jetson platform powers the edge:
- Jetson Orin — Current-generation edge AI
- Jetson Thor — Next-gen for humanoids
- Isaac Sim — Simulation platform for robot training
The strategic logic: If physical AI scales, every robot runs NVIDIA silicon. The Jetson platform is positioned as the “GPU of robotics.”
Timeline Risk
This is NVIDIA’s longest-duration bet. If humanoid adoption delays by a decade, capital ties up without returns. The hedge: diversified bets across humanoids, AVs, delivery, and factories.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.









