Microsoft Research has announced Rho-alpha, a new robotics model designed to help robots understand natural language instructions and carry out complex physical tasks in less structured environments.
The model, derived from Microsoft’s Phi series of vision-language models, is being made available through the company’s Research Early Access Program. According to Microsoft, Rho-alpha is intended to advance a new generation of robotics systems capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting in dynamic real-world settings.
For decades, robots have performed best in tightly controlled environments such as factories and warehouses, where tasks are predictable and carefully scripted. Recent advances in agentic AI, however, are enabling new “vision-language-action” models that allow physical systems to operate with greater autonomy. [Read more…] about Microsoft Research unveils Rho-alpha robotics model combining vision, language, and touch