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Chapter 1: What is Physical AI?

You're familiar with software AI—ChatGPT that responds in milliseconds, image generators that create instantly, language models that process text at the speed of computation. But what happens when you put AI in a body? When a robot must navigate gravity, deal with latency, move precious metal and motors, and operate in a world that doesn't pause for computation?

This chapter bridges that gap. You'll explore why robots are fundamentally different from software, understand the physical constraints that reshape how we develop embodied intelligence, and survey the humanoid robotics ecosystem that's emerging right now.

Duration: 3 lessons, 2.25 hours total Layer Breakdown: L1: 100% (manual foundation, no coding) Hardware Tier: Tier 1 (conceptual, browser-based) Prerequisites: None (this is the foundation)

Learning Objectives​

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Distinguish software AI from embodied AI and articulate why the same algorithms behave differently in physical systems
  • Explain three fundamental physical constraints (gravity, latency, safety) and how they reshape robot design
  • Survey the humanoid robotics landscape and identify key players and their approaches
  • Recognize the shift from pure software to embodied intelligence as a foundational concept for everything that follows

Lessons​

Lesson 1.1: From ChatGPT to Walking Robots (45 minutes)​

Contrast software AI's speed and statelessness with robots' embodied slowness and physical constraints. Explore why a neural network that generates perfect paragraphs can't directly control a humanoid walking.

Core Concepts:

  • Software AI vs. embodied AI (definitions, examples, differences)
  • Physical world constraints (gravity, latency, safety)

Lesson 1.2: Embodied Intelligence (45 minutes)​

Dive into how physical form shapes cognition. A robot's body isn't just a platform for its brain—it IS part of its intelligence. Explore feedback loops, constraint-as-feature thinking, and why morphology matters.

Core Concepts:

  • Embodiment effects (body shape affects control, movement enables perception)
  • Physical constraints as features (not bugs): gravity, inertia, joint limits

Lesson 1.3: The Humanoid Revolution (45 minutes)​

Map the humanoid robotics landscape. Meet the players (Unitree, Figure, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA), understand their approaches, and identify your hardware tier.

Core Concepts:

  • Humanoid robotics ecosystem and key players
  • Hardware tiers and learning paths

4-Layer Teaching Method​

Layer%What's Covered
L1: Manual100%Direct narrative teaching with analogies, diagrams, reflection questions
L2: AI Collab0%Not yet—you need foundational mental models first
L3: Intelligence0%Not yet—pattern recognition comes after multiple concepts
L4: Spec-Driven0%Not yet—specifications require implementation experience

This chapter is pure foundation. You read, think, reflect, and build mental models. No code, no AI collaboration, no building yet.

Hardware Requirements​

Minimum Tier: Tier 1 (Laptop/Browser)

TierEquipmentWhat You Can Do
1Laptop + BrowserRead all lessons, view diagrams, answer reflection questions
2+(Not needed for this chapter)All of Tier 1, plus... (nothing additional for Chapter 1)

This chapter requires only a browser and conceptual thinking.

Prerequisites​

  • No prior robotics knowledge required (this chapter introduces the field)
  • No programming required (this chapter is conceptual)
  • Curiosity and openness to new ways of thinking about intelligence

Mastery Gate​

Before proceeding to Chapter 2, you should be able to:

  • Identify at least one difference between ChatGPT's operation and a robot's operation (hint: think about time and physics)
  • Name three physical constraints that affect robots (e.g., gravity, latency, safety)
  • Recognize that embodied intelligence is a different research area from pure language models or image generation
  • Reflect on your own understanding: "Can you explain to a friend why a walking robot is harder than ChatGPT?"

If you can do these, you're ready for Chapter 2.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: The Robot System →

Module Overview: ← Back to Module 1

Start Lesson 1.1: From ChatGPT to Walking Robots →