Nvidia expands its Japan push with a new Cosmos edge model and robotics partnerships

4:15 AM · July 16, 2026

Nvidia unveiled Cosmos 3 Edge, a new AI model built as a world model for robots and vision AI agents to perceive and navigate physical environments in real time, according to CNBC, as chief executive Jensen Huang used a high profile visit to Japan to expand the company's presence in the country's AI and robotics sectors. Huang announced collaborations with Japanese manufacturing giants Fanuc and Yaskawa Electric to advance AI powered robotics, continuing Nvidia's push into what it calls physical AI, meaning the autonomous control of robots in the real world rather than purely digital tasks. The visit follows Nvidia's announcement a day earlier that Japanese enterprises, startups, and research institutions are building industry specialized AI models using Nvidia's open Nemotron models, part of a broader sovereign AI strategy in which countries build and run their own AI systems rather than renting them from abroad. Huang framed the moment as a major turning point for Japanese AI, arguing that physical AI, in particular autonomous robotics, represents a significant opportunity for a country with deep manufacturing expertise. The announcements add Japan to the growing list of countries where Nvidia is positioning its open model families as the foundation layer for locally built AI systems rather than competing only on raw chip sales.