Beyond Silicon: NVIDIA's Open Models Aim to Own the Robotics OS

NVIDIA is intensifying its open-source strategy for robotics, uniting its simulation and AI models under the banner of "Physical AI." This move represents a strategic push to establish a standardized development ecosystem for autonomous systems. By providing critical infrastructure, NVIDIA is not just releasing tools but attempting to set the foundational software layer for the entire industry, shifting the competitive focus from bespoke hardware to a unified, simulation-first approach to building intelligent machines.

This strategy puts immense pressure on companies offering proprietary robotics stacks and alternative simulation platforms, potentially marginalizing those outside the NVIDIA ecosystem. While lowering entry barriers for startups, it also risks creating deep vendor lock-in, shaping the industry’s trajectory around NVIDIA