Thor is a hardware platform that integrates Nvidia's flagship Blackwell graphics processors to run generative AI models directly on robots at the edge. The boards enable on-device AI inference so robots can make real-time decisions without relying on cloud GPUs or internet connectivity. The platform emphasizes low power, high performance, and deterministic real-time operation to meet actuation deadlines measured in fractions of a second. Cloud-based inference typically incurs latencies of hundreds of milliseconds, which is unsuitable for fast robot actuation. Edge deployment of Blackwell GPUs in Thor reduces latency and supports autonomous robotic behavior.
"Thor...is the ultimate platform for physical AI and robotics built for the age of reasoning AI running at the edge - low power, high performance, real time," Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at Nvidia, said during a news briefing.
The boards have Nvidia's flagship Blackwell graphics processor, which power the latest genAI models. Users currently have to access those GPUs in the cloud, which is why the robotic implementation of Blackwell in Thor is different. Robots make real-time decisions, and the GPUs can run AI on the device without cloud access or internet connections.
"...Typically, your actuation is in fractions of a second...," Talla said. "If you go to the cloud, typically the latency is hundreds of milliseconds.... That's why you want to do as much as possible at the edge."
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