GPU

A GPU (graphics processing unit) is a parallel computing processor originally designed for rendering images, now central to AI workloads. In humanoid robots, GPUs accelerate tasks like vision processing, object recognition, and policy inference from foundation models.

Modern edge GPUs, such as the NVIDIA Jetson series, allow real-time execution of large neural networks on board the robot. This enables fast perception and decision-making without relying on cloud latency. GPU selection affects runtime, energy draw, and the feasibility of end-to-end learning architectures.

As models grow larger and more capable, GPU capacity is becoming a bottleneck shaping which models can run in real-world deployments and how long a robot can operate per charge.