​This Tokyo AI (TAI) AI in Hardware and Robotics (AHR) group session is on AI and Humanoids. Join us for an evening exploring the cutting edge of humanoid robotics and AI-driven autonomy. Alessio Del Bue will trace the evolution from Spatial AI to Embodied AI, highlighting how advanced scene understanding enables real-world robot intelligence. Simon Gormuzov will present a new generation of humanoid robots, blending classical engineering with adaptive AI to push the boundaries of robotic capability.

​Note: we have space for a third speaker, let us know if you can share research or your experiments in AI for humanoid robots.

​​Schedule

​19:00 Doors open
19:30 - 19:40 Introduction
19:40 - 20:10 From Spatial AI to Embodied AI: The Path to Autonomous Systems (Alessio Del Bue)
20:10 - 20:40 The Next-generation of humanoid robots (Simon Gormuzov)
20:40 - 21:30 Networking

​21:30 Doors close

​​Speakers

​Alessio del Bue (profile)

​​​Title: From Spatial AI to Embodied AI: The Path to Autonomous Systems

​Abstract: This talk explores our journey from Spatial AI, focused on environmental perception, to Embodied AI, where systems interact and learn from their surroundings. Leveraging advanced visual scene representation techniques like NeRF and 3DGS, we can create realistic, semantically rich models to train autonomy tasks such as navigation and object detection. Finally, we demonstrate how visual and multi-modal data enable Embodied AI models to power humanoid robotic platforms at IIT.

​​​Bio: Alessio Del Bue is the director of the PAVIS (Pattern Analysis and computer VISion) research unit of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genova, Italy. Previously, he was a researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, Portugal. Before that, he obtained my Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Lourdes Agapito in the Department of Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London. His current research interests are related to 3D scene understanding from multi-modal input (images, depth, audio) to support the development of assistive Artificial Intelligence systems. He is a co-author of more than 150 scientific publications, in refereed journals and international conferences, a member of the technical committees of important computer vision conferences (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, etc.), and he serves as an associate editor of Transaction of Image Processing (TIP) journal. Finally, Dr. Del Bue is an IEEE and ELLIS member in the recently formed Genoa unit.

​Simon Gormuzov (profile)​​

​​​Title: The Next-generation of humanoid robots

​​​Abstract: This talk explores the shift in humanoid robotics from traditional, math-driven engineering toward more adaptive, AI-powered systems. While classical approaches make robots reliable in structured settings, they fall short in dynamic, real-world environments. In this talk, I will explore how using AI across a robot's intelligence, control, and even mechanical design enables new possibilities for flexible and intelligent robots. At the same time, I will highlight the limitations and risks of over-applying AI, and share a perspective on how to use it effectively and responsibly to bring humanoid robotics to the next level.

​​​Bio: Simon Gormuzov is a robotics engineer and co-founder of O-ID, a startup developing high-performance customizable humanoid robots. Originally from Amsterdam, Simon earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering while working part-time in industrial automation at companies like DERO and FANUC. He also founded and led a robotics club at his university.

​After graduation, Simon moved to Tokyo to pursue more experimental robotics work, joining the high-tech startup Tokyo Robotics, known for its research in humanoid robotics. He later entered academia at Waseda University’s Sugano Lab, where he completed a Master's degree and focused on research in human-to-robot motion transfer. Drawing on his experience across both industry and academia, Simon now channels his passion into building next-generation humanoid systems at O-ID.

​​Our Community

​​​​​​Tokyo AI (TAI) is a community composed of people based in Tokyo and working with, studying, or investing in AI. We are engineers, product managers, entrepreneurs, academics, and investors intending to build a strong “AI coreˮ in Tokyo. Find more in our overview: https://bit.ly/tai_overview

​Organizers

​Apurv Saha: Robotics Researcher currently working on Autonomous Indoor Navigation using Audio-Vision Language Models at Tokyo Tech.

​Stefano Zangiacomi: Engineer specializing in camera and image signal processing within the automotive industry. Outside of work, Stefano is crafting an AI-enabled hardware assistant to reshape human-computer engagement using intuitive voice and vision technologies.

​​​Ilya Kulyatin: Fintech and AI entrepreneur with work and academic experience in the US, Netherlands, Singapore, UK, and Japan, with an MSc in Machine Learning from UCL.

​​Sponsor

​​​​​​DEEPCORE is a Tokyo-based AI-focused incubator and VC firm supporting AI Salon Tokyo.