Nvidia offers software and chips to make humanoid robots safer

Nvidia is offering software and semiconductors designed to make humanoid robots safer to operate around people.

The chipmaker said in a statement Monday that Halos, software developed from systems used for self-driving vehicles, will form the basis of robot computers that give humanoids a much better awareness of what is happening around them so they can handle split-second decisions and even make physical contact if necessary.

The company framed the package as a step toward letting humanoid robots enter workplaces and truly interact with humans, pairing perception software with silicon to speed the real-time judgments the company says are needed before robots can be trusted to work closely with people.