Khaberni - On Wednesday, the White House hosted "the first guest from the humanoid robots," where the First Lady Melania Trump was accompanied by a robot from the emerging robot company "Vigor AI."
The robot, known as "Vigor 03," accompanied the First Lady during the second day of the "Global Alliance for Building the Future Together" summit, a gathering focused on technology and children's education.
At the event, which was widely covered in videos circulated on social media, the robot welcomed the attendees in several languages and introduced itself as a "humanoid robot made in the United States," according to a report by "CNBC."
This presentation is one of the most notable displays of humanoid robots in the United States so far, if not the most prominent, highlighting how this technology has become a national priority amid global technological competition.
In contrast, Beijing also promoted humanoid robots at widely covered media events this year.
The First Lady used the robot to promote her push towards integrating artificial intelligence in children's education, suggesting that robots could someday serve as interactive teachers at home.
However, Vigor AI states that its third-generation humanoid robots are also usable for more general purposes, including commercial and household tasks.
The involvement of the White House is likely to boost the standing of Vigor AI, backed by "Nvidia," a less well-known company compared to major players in the field of humanoid robots such as Tesla with its "Optimus" and Boston Dynamics, although some of its team members came from those competing companies, in addition to tech giants like "Apple."
An emerging startup
"Vigor AI" was founded in 2022 by tech entrepreneur and billionaire Brett Adcock, who previously co-founded the publicly traded drone company "Archer Aviation" and the digital hiring platform "Vettery."
Vigor AI's robots rely on the company's proprietary "Helix AI" system, a model that combines vision, language, and actions to power its robots and enables them to learn through observation and voice commands.
Amid growing excitement from investors about physical artificial intelligence, the company raised over a billion dollars in its Series C funding round in September, led by "Parkway Venture Capital" and with participation from prominent investors like "Nvidia," "Intel Capital," "Qualcomm Ventures," and "Salesforce," raising its market value to $39 billion.
This funding is expected to be used in the company's goal to deploy thousands of robots in homes and the logistics sector over the coming years, a goal that has likely become easier following significant endorsement from the White House.
Vigor AI has already begun working with its first commercial client, BMW, where it deploys its robots in tasks such as handling sheet metal parts in its factories.
"Vigor 03"
Vigor 03 is the third generation of humanoid robots from Vigor AI, designed for home use and for widespread global use.
The company stated on its website that its goal for Vigor 03 is to "provide a truly multipurpose robot, capable of performing human-like tasks and learning directly from humans."
This robot features a completely redesigned sensing system and hand design, specifically engineered to enable the artificial intelligence system "Helix."
Vigor 03 comes with numerous new features, including soft fabrics, wireless charging, an enhanced audio system for voice control, and advanced battery safety technologies that make it safer and easier to use at home.
This generation differs from previous Vigor AI robots in that it includes a camera built into the palm of each hand, featuring a wide field of view, providing a backup visual feed for close-up gripping operations.
These cameras allow the "Helix" system to maintain visual awareness even when the main cameras are obstructed, enabling continuous control and real-time adaptability.
The price of a Vigor AI robot is approximately $24,760, positioning this robot as a direct competitor to the "Optimus" robot from Elon Musk's Tesla.
