Exploring frontier models for physical AI
Bill Doerrfeld | February 28, 2026
My
latest for The New Stack explores the software side of the next era of robotics.
What are the frontier models underlying physical AI? Today, my feature with
The New Stack
looks into the software side of the next era of robotics.
The piece explores new physical AI models like LBM, VLA, and open-world models, and considers the role of edge computing and the enterprise constraints of physical AI at scale.
Thanks to the experts who shared insights for this story!
-Akhil D., senior robotics product marketing manager at
NVIDIA
-MattMalchano, vice president, software,
Boston Dynamics
-Kevin Peterson, CTO,
Bedrock Robotics
-Brian Moore, co-founder and CEO at
Voxel51
In short, the real breakthrough in robotics isn't hardware — it’s in the new class of foundation models physical AI requires.
Other Blog Posts
For my latest DirectorPlus edition, Joel Carusone from NinjaOne shares how engineering leaders can build the muscle for making tough calls.
My latest InfoWorld feature explores how Model Context Protocol (MCP) supports context engineering for AI-assisted coding.
My latest for Nordic APIs explores 10 API key security risks and what to use alongside keys for stronger API security.
The yearly API conference, apidays New York, is a hotbed for solid discussion on what's top of mind in the API space, and as MC I had a front row seat.
My latest for CIO Online features real results form CIOs actively deploying AI agents to empower sales and revenue teams.
Reports say consumers are souring on AI everywhere, all the time. So, at the risk of losing trust, or even potential business, is adding AI to an existing product really worth it?
Cloudflare rebuilt Next.js over a weekend using agentic coding.
My InfoWorld feature reviews the key building blocks in agentic systems and with real-world examples from Shopify, Block, and others.
My latest InfoWorld feature explores what makes an enterprise MCP registry effective, from semantic discovery to governance and security for AI agents.
My first-ever contribution to CSO Online looks at the shifting landscape, from perimeter-based security to API security, and how CISOs are responding.
