The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops specifications that standardize wired interfaces for mobile and other connected ecosystems, has announced the formation of a “Physical AI Birds of a Feather (BoF) group” dedicated to exploring upcoming technologies and trends in the physical AI market, with an initial focus on humanoids.
The group will examine how MIPI specifications can support the rapidly developing humanoid application space.
The market emerging around humanoid robots is dynamic, with Yole Group projecting a 56 percent CAGR to reach more than $6 billion by 2030. As adoption is expected to accelerate at the start of the next decade, the value could soar to $51 billion by 2035.
Pierrick Boulay, principal analyst, automotive semiconductor, Yole Group, says: “Humanoids are reaching an inflection point.
“AI progress, supply-chain maturity and component scaling are turning humanoids from complex prototypes into deployable systems with measurable ROI in logistics, manufacturing and other high-value industrial applications.”
The humanoid-focused BoF group will:
- Analyze and compare current hardware and software architectures
- Develop system diagrams for key application areas
- Identify how MIPI specifications can be leveraged or enhanced to meet market needs
At the conclusion of its evaluation, the group will provide a formal recommendation to the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors regarding potential specification development opportunities.
Edo Cohen, chair of the MIPI Physical AI BoF Group and vice chair of MIPI’s Technical Steering Group, says: “Many of today’s robotics systems rely on architectures originally developed for mobile, automotive and industrial systems.
“The industry is shifting toward more efficient, commercially viable designs that prioritize power efficiency, cost optimization and reduced form factors.
“This evolution provides an opportunity for MIPI to address the lack of standardized PHY, protocol and application interfaces for physical AI markets, and introduce an architecture based on MIPI’s accumulated experience and proven technology.”
Member companies already participating in the BoF group include: Amphenol; Binho; BitifEye Digital Test Solutions; Genesys Logic; Intel; I-Pex; Kioxia; Lattice Semiconductor; LG Electronics; MediaTek; Mixel; NXP Semiconductors; Robert Bosch; Rohm; Samsung Electronics; Silvaco; Sony Group; STMicroelectronics; Synopsys; TDK (InvenSense); Texas Instruments; Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies; Valens Semiconductor and others.
MIPI is also launching an Emerging Technologies Initiative to encourage broader industry participation for members and non-MIPI members in the exploration of emerging technology markets.
Initial areas of focus will be on the Physical AI BoF and forthcoming Die-to-Die BoF, with potentially additional groups to come in 2026 and beyond.
Through the initiative, MIPI Adopter member and nonmember companies will have a pathway to continue their involvement in the effort should the BoF evolve into a working group or the activities transfer to an existing MIPI working group.
Companies interested in participating in the Physical AI BoF may sign up here: https://hubs.ly/Q04dBHmM0
