Fujitsu joins FANUC, Yaskawa & Kawasaki on physical AI

Fujitsu has begun exploring physical AI projects with FANUC, Yaskawa Electric and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, using NVIDIA technology for industrial robotics.

The group is examining how AI-driven robots can work alongside people in manufacturing, logistics and healthcare. The effort centres on a collaborative control platform linking digital systems with physical machines to support more autonomous robot operations in real-world settings.

Physical AI refers to systems that can interpret real-world conditions and turn those observations into actions by robots or equipment. The initiative reflects a broader push to move AI beyond software and data analysis into factory floors, warehouses and hospitals.

Japan's industrial sector has faced labour shortages, an ageing workforce and a decline in skilled technicians, particularly in manufacturing. Those pressures have increased interest in automation tools that can maintain output and quality while reducing repetitive, physically demanding or hazardous work.

In factories, the work will focus on production planning and on-site adaptation to help manufacturers respond to changing operating conditions. In logistics and retail, Fujitsu is looking at automating material handling based on logistics plans that use real-time sales and inventory data.

In healthcare, companies are studying robot-led services integrated with hospital operational systems. These include transporting pharmaceuticals and specimens within hospitals, as well as outpatient reception and guidance services.

Platform focus

A central part of the project is the development of common software platforms and hardware interfaces that could be used across different robots and equipment. Fujitsu wants to standardise and open the collaborative control infrastructure to participating companies and research institutions.

The platform will also be built with an emphasis on sovereignty, reflecting concerns about cybersecurity, system failures and the protection of confidential information as robots take on wider roles and connect with more systems. Those risks become more acute as automation spreads across multiple sites and pieces of equipment.

NVIDIA's role includes the use of its AI, simulation and robotics tools. Fujitsu plans to use the NVIDIA Cosmos global foundation model in socio-physical simulations to improve its ability to understand and predict events in real-world environments.

It also plans to use NVIDIA Omniverse, the Isaac platform and the Newton physics engine for simulation-to-reality work, robot learning, verification and optimisation. This suggests that the companies want to train and test robotic systems in virtual environments before deploying them in operational settings.

Industry push

The project brings together some of Japan's best-known robotics groups. FANUC is a major supplier of factory automation systems and industrial robots, Yaskawa Electric has expanded its work in autonomous robotic systems, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries has a long-standing presence in industrial and healthcare robotics.

Peter Grassi, Chief Executive Officer of Fujitsu in Oceania, described the shift as a new phase for AI in the workplace.

"For years, the AI conversation has focused on how technology can improve knowledge work. The next challenge is how AI can help people perform physical work more safely, consistently and productively. Physical AI is about augmenting people, not replacing them. By combining Fujitsu's digital transformation expertise with NVIDIA's AI and robotics technologies, we can help lay the foundation for smarter, safer and more productive industrial environments where people and intelligent machines work together," Grassi said.

Executives from the Japanese robotics groups framed the initiative as a route to wider use of AI-enabled automation on the shop floor and in hospitals. They also pointed to labour shortages as a practical reason for closer collaboration between robotics makers and digital technology companies.

"This collaboration marks an important step toward significantly advancing and accelerating the real-world deployment of Physical AI powered by robotics. We have already begun practical utilisation of Physical AI systems based on open platforms. Our key objective is to bring unprecedented 'AI systems that are flexible and that can be utilised by users of all skill levels' to the shop floor in a timely manner.

By combining your company's autonomous AI platform - which integrates Fujitsu's Takane LLM and NVIDIA technologies - with FANUC robots featuring advanced AI capabilities and support for open platforms such as ROS 2 and Python, we aim to address critical challenges such as labour shortages. Through this collaboration and by leveraging the AI technologies of NVIDIA, a strategic partner of both companies, we will strive to create a society in which people and robots coexist and collaborate seamlessly, strengthen industrial competitiveness, create new value, and contribute to the realisation of a sustainable society," said Kenji Yamaguchi, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, FANUC.

Masahiro Ogawa, Vice Chairman and Executive Officer of Yaskawa Electric, said the company saw partnership-building as necessary to broaden the reach of automation through data use and robotics.

"It has been about 10 years since Yaskawa Electric proposed the solution concept 'i3-Mechatronics' in 2017, aimed at realising a new industrial automation revolution based on the fusion of mechatronics and data utilisation. During this time, technologies such as AI and GPUs have evolved significantly, and the expansion of automation through data utilisation - a goal we have championed - continues to advance.

Our company rapidly brought the MOTOMAN NEXT - an autonomous AI robot equipped with NVIDIA GPUs as standard - to market. Furthermore, by advancing ROS 2 compatibility and leveraging robots as open platforms, we are working to implement physical AI in society, as outlined in our mid-term management plan. We believe that strengthening our relationships with various partners is essential to realising this vision and further expanding the scope of automation. We have high hopes that this initiative will enable us to accelerate the societal implementation of physical AI together with all of you," Ogawa said.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries placed particular emphasis on hospitals and nursing care.

"We have high expectations that this collaboration will generate significant synergies between our companies and accelerate the social implementation of Physical AI. Today, the healthcare and nursing care sectors face serious challenges, including ageing populations and labour shortages. Addressing these issues through the creation of new solutions leveraging robotics and AI is an urgent priority.

"Kawasaki Heavy Industries possesses robotics technologies that are widely utilised across a broad range of industries, as well as extensive operational data and expertise accumulated over many years. By combining these strengths with Fujitsu's advanced IT capabilities and digital platforms, we are confident that we can realise a hospital one-stop solution that safely and efficiently connects every stage of the patient journey - from hospital admission and consultation to treatment, surgery, and post-operative care - thereby helping to address critical healthcare challenges.

Through this partnership with Fujitsu, we aim not only to advance technology development but also to co-create solutions that take root in real-world settings and contribute to improving the quality of healthcare. Together, we will deliver new value to the global healthcare and nursing care sectors," said Yasuhiko Hashimoto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

"Physical AI is the next industrial revolution - and it will be made in Japan. Fujitsu, FANUC, YASKAWA and Kawasaki are the companies that taught the world how to manufacture. Together with NVIDIA's full-stack physical AI platform, they will teach the world's machines to think, move and work alongside people - across factories, hospitals and cities. Japan invented modern industry. With AI, Japan will define its next era," said Jensen Huang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, NVIDIA.