Nvidia and Disney Collaborate on AI Robotics
Nvidia, the tech company that has become a prominent figure in AI, has revealed collaborations designed to significantly advance humanoid robot development. The company announced a series of initiatives, most notably a partnership with Disney Research and Google’s DeepMind AI lab. This collaboration focuses on developing “Newton,” an open-source physics engine intended to give robots enhanced precision in handling complex tasks.
“The age of generalist robotics is here,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote address on Tuesday, which marked the start of the company’s 2025 GTC developers conference.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. (Getty Images)
Disney Research will be among the first to utilize Newton. The collaboration will enable the entertainment giant to enhance its robotic character platforms, including the Star Wars-inspired “BDX” droids. These droids, which joined Huang on stage, are just the beginning of what is to come.
“We’re committed to bringing more characters to life in ways the world hasn’t seen before, and this collaboration with Disney Research, Nvidia and Google DeepMind is a key part of that vision,” said Kyle Laughlin, senior VP at Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development. “This collaboration will allow us to create a new generation of robotic characters that are more expressive and engaging than ever before — and connect with our guests in ways that only Disney can.”
Also announced Tuesday was Isaac GR00T N1, a customizable foundation model for generalized humanoid reasoning and skills. GR00T N1 is the initial offering of a series of fully customizable models that Nvidia plans to release to robotics developers worldwide. During his keynote, Huang showcased a 1X humanoid robot successfully performing household tasks utilizing a “post-trained policy” constructed upon GR00T N1. The robot’s autonomous capabilities are the product of collaboration between 1X and Nvidia.
“With Nvidia Isaac GR00T N1 and new data-generation and robot-learning frameworks, robotics developers everywhere will open the next frontier in the age of AI,” Huang stated.
Nvidia noted that GR00T N1 can be easily used for routine tasks (such as grasping, moving items with one or both arms, and transferring objects from one arm to the other) as well as advanced, multi-step functions requiring a variety of skills. Additional developers with early access to GR00T N1 include Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Mentee Robotics and Neura Robotics.
