Brazilian startup creates 'brain' with AI to make robots smarter A Brazilian startup wants to give robots something that many of them still don't have: a brain 🧠. The proposal is to transform machines that currently perform simple tasks into equipment capable of understanding the environment and acting more autonomously. g1 learned about the project during São Paulo Innovation Week, a technology and innovation event, held in May in the capital of São Paulo. 🗒️ Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send it to g1 The equipment was created by BotBot, a startup founded in January 2025 in São Paulo. The objective is for robots to stop just executing programmed movements and start interpreting information from the surrounding environment. As a result, they can be used in activities such as property patrols, security inspections and monitoring of risk areas. "Lately, we've been seeing a lot of robots around. They do little dances and lots of different things. But, when we think about applications for industry or real life, there's still a lack of practical utility. Using AI, the BotBrain [name of the "brain"] is what really makes the robot more useful and functional", says Danielle Santos, head of projects at BotBot. Module attached to the robot allows it to become more intelligent. Darlan Helder/g1 "The idea is that it can move around the environment to identify whether employees are wearing helmets, detect gas leaks or even the beginnings of a fire, tasks that conventional robots still cannot do today", adds Danielle. For now, the technology is aimed at companies. But the project also paves the way for, in the future, “smarter” robots to be part of the routine at home. Renting the system costs US$1,000 per month (around R$5,000) and does not include the robot, which is sold separately by other manufacturers. According to Danielle, the value is still high because it is a new technology. She states that customers receive updates whenever the product gains improvements. Project is not exclusive Skild AI robot performing household tasks. Disclosure/Nvidia The idea of BotBot is not new. Other companies are also working to make robots smarter using AI. This is the case of Skild AI, a startup founded in 2023. According to Nvidia, their partner, the system has already been able to perform some simple tasks, such as cleaning an office desk and keeping a headphone inside its box during tests — things that conventional robots still can't do, or don't do very well. In January this year, Boston Dynamics, one of the world's leading robot manufacturers, announced a partnership with Google DeepMind to make humanoid robots smarter with the help of AI. According to the companies, the objective is for these robots to be able to perform complex industrial tasks, starting with the automotive industry. In an interview with g1, in February, Marcio Aguiar, director of Nvidia for Latin America, stated that the market is already looking at “Physical AI”, a term used to define the integration between AI and physical systems, such as robots. According to him, technology has advanced to the point of allowing increasingly faster responses and reasoning from machines. How the Brazilian project works BotBrain installed on "robot dog". Darlan Helder/g1 The equipment used by the Brazilian startup is called BotBrain, a purple device that is attached to the robot (see image above). According to Danielle Santos, the technology is compatible with bipedal robots (humanoids), quadrupeds (doggy style) and models with wheels. In some robots, the physical module can be installed directly on the equipment. In others, however, manufacturers do not allow this type of adaptation. In this situation, the company only uses the BotBrain software, which is transferred to the robot. (see image below) The device has cameras, sensors and speakers, and works integrated with software on the computer. Through it, a human can monitor, configure and define actions for the robot that receives the “brain”. Robot model that does not allow the installation of the physical "brain". Reproduction/Instagram According to Danielle, the system allows the equipment to make decisions based on previously defined rules. She cites as an example a robot responsible for monitoring an environment with five doors. "Suppose the robot is in an environment with five doors. It has already mapped the location and understood that they must be closed. If it makes this round every hour and finds an open door, depending on the configuration, it can send a message to the security center", he says. The company states that the technology can also be used in monitoring activities for structures such as bridges and dams. In these cases, the robot performs the inspection and transmits the information collected on site to a human. The startup currently has nine employees and maintains offices in São Paulo and Portugal. The company is looking for new investments to expand the business and claims to have already aroused the interest of companies abroad. Chinese humanoid robots outperform humans in Beijing half-marathon