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Introduction to Physical AI

The Next Frontier: Why Physical AI Matters​

Physical AI represents the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, moving beyond purely digital environments to interact with the real world. This domain combines advanced AI algorithms with robotics, enabling intelligent systems to perceive, reason, and act in physical spaces.

As automation and intelligent agents become increasingly integrated into our daily lives and industries, the ability for AI to safely and effectively operate in the physical realm is paramount. This book explores the foundational technologies and methodologies required to build such intelligent physical systems, paving the way for innovations in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and beyond.

The Stack: ROS 2 Jazzy, Isaac Sim, and Unity​

This book leverages a powerful and versatile technology stack to develop and simulate Physical AI systems:

  • ROS 2 Jazzy: The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a flexible framework for writing robot software. ROS 2, the next generation, provides enhanced capabilities for real-time performance, security, and multi-robot systems. "Jazzy" refers to a specific long-term support (LTS) release, offering stability and extensive features for developing complex robotic applications.
  • NVIDIA Isaac Sim: Built on NVIDIA Omniverse, Isaac Sim is a scalable robotics simulation application and synthetic data generation tool. It enables developers to create highly realistic virtual environments for testing, training, and validating AI-powered robots. Isaac Sim's advanced physics, rendering, and sensor models are crucial for developing robust physical AI solutions in a risk-free environment.
  • Unity: A popular real-time 3D development platform, Unity is used here for creating rich, interactive, and visually stunning simulations. Its robust editor, scripting capabilities, and asset pipeline make it an excellent choice for designing complex virtual worlds and robot kinematics, complementing Isaac Sim for diverse simulation needs.

Prerequisites​

To follow along with the exercises and projects in this book, you will need the following hardware and software:

Hardware Requirements​

  • NVIDIA RTX GPU: A powerful NVIDIA RTX series graphics card is essential for running Isaac Sim and Unity with optimal performance, especially for rendering high-fidelity simulations and accelerating AI workloads.
  • RAM: Minimum 32GB (64GB Recommended) to handle the heavy simulation loads of Isaac Sim.

Software Requirements​

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: The recommended operating system is Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat). This Linux distribution provides a stable and widely supported environment for ROS 2 Jazzy development and compatibility with NVIDIA's ecosystem.

Ready to Start?​

Proceed to Module 1: The Robotic Nervous System to begin building your first distributed nodes.