Embodied AI and Robot Learning: VLA Models — 2026-09-18
This week, the embodied AI sector saw a surge in model releases from US startups and Japanese manufacturers, alongside intense scrutiny of OpenAI’s latest robotics capabilities. Key developments include Figure AI’s Helix 2.5 foundation model, Odyssey-3’s unified control architecture, and Toyota’s strategic pivot to mass humanoid deployment, signaling a shift from research prototypes to industrial-scale physical AI.
Embodied AI and Robot Learning: VLA Models — 2026-09-18
Figure AI Launches Helix 2.5 for Domestic Tasks
On September 18, 2026, Figure AI announced "Helix 2.5," a new foundation model for its humanoid robots designed to handle complex household tasks in unknown environments. The model demonstrated the ability to perform cleaning and organization tasks across 30 different homes without prior mapping, marking a significant leap in generalization capabilities for vision-language-action (VLA) systems. This release positions Figure AI to compete directly with Tesla Optimus by targeting the consumer residential market with robust, zero-shot navigation and manipulation skills.
Odyssey-3 Unifies Control for Robots and Vehicles
US-based AI lab Odyssey released "Odyssey-3" on September 15, 2026, a single foundation model capable of controlling diverse embodiments including robotic arms, humanoids, autonomous vehicles, and drones. The architecture uses a shared backbone with small, embodiment-specific action decoders, allowing knowledge transfer across domains such as gaming and real-world robotics. This approach aims to solve the data scarcity problem in robotics by leveraging large-scale data from other physical AI sectors like autonomous driving.
Toyota Enters Robotics with Physical AI Focus
Toyota Motor Corporation announced on September 17, 2026, that it will formally enter the robotics business, focusing on "Physical AI" robots for factory automation. The company plans to develop collaborative robots that work alongside humans in production lines, with initial deployment in its own factories before expanding to external sales. This move follows reports of plans to introduce up to 400,000 humanoid robots into manufacturing facilities, leveraging Toyota’s expertise in human-machine interaction and supply chain efficiency.
GPT-6 Astra Demonstrates Zero-Shot Robot Manipulation
Recent evaluations of OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra, published in early September 2026, revealed significant advances in robot manipulation without task-specific fine-tuning. Independent tests by Robocurve showed the model could direct robotic arms to grasp and place objects with high accuracy, achieving a score of 62.6 compared to 38.26 for previous leading models in simulation benchmarks. These results suggest that large language models are increasingly serving as effective general-purpose controllers for embodied agents, reducing the need for extensive robot-specific training data.
Local view
Japan: Japanese media highlighted the launch of ugo Nova, a new semi-humanoid robot, at a recent industry summit, emphasizing the push for domestic general-purpose robots. Additionally, startup Highlanders was selected for Japan's GENIAC national project to develop AI foundation models for automotive assembly using their domestic humanoid "N," underscoring government support for local robotics innovation.
China: Chinese outlets reported on a rapid succession of model releases from companies like Songyan Power (Scalabot HERON-World Model) and Zhiyuan Robotics, indicating a competitive "arms race" in embodied AI models. Analysts noted that while US models like GPT-6 Astra lead in raw capability, Chinese firms are aggressively closing the gap through massive investment in data collection and specialized hardware integration.
Context & numbers
The global humanoid robot market size is estimated to reach USD 2.1 billion, driven by industrial adoption from players like Tesla, Figure AI, and Unitree. Apptronik recently raised $520 million at a $5 billion valuation to accelerate its Apollo humanoid's deployment in factories, reflecting strong investor confidence in the sector's commercial viability. Meanwhile, Toyota’s plan to deploy hundreds of thousands of units signals a potential shift from niche pilot projects to mass-market industrial automation.
On the radar
- GENIAC Kickoff: Following Highlanders' selection, other Japanese companies participating in the NEDO-led GENIAC project are expected to release detailed roadmaps for foundation model development in Q4 2026.
- XPeng IRON Production: XPeng’s newly commissioned automated production line for its IRON humanoid is ramping up, with mass production targets set for the end of 2026, potentially undercutting competitors on hardware costs.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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