Google DeepMind unveiled Gemini Robotics 2 on July 31, a next-generation AI system for controlling humanoid robots, consisting of three models that can work together or independently. The flagship Gemini Robotics 2 is a vision-language-action (VLA) model that converts visual input and natural-language prompts into motor control, enabling full-body control of humanoids "from feet to fingertips" — a major upgrade from the previous version, which controlled only the upper body. It was demonstrated on Apptronik's Apollo 2 humanoid performing tasks like picking up a watering can, packing for a sports game, and cleaning a cluttered room.
A Brain, a Body, and an On-Device Model
The release also includes Gemini Robotics ER 2, an embodied-reasoning model that handles multi-step planning spanning several minutes, human interaction, failure self-correction, and multi-robot collaboration — including different robot types, like Apollo and Duo, working together to tidy a garage. Gemini Robotics On-Device 2 is a lightweight model that runs locally without network connectivity and can adapt to entirely new robot embodiments in a few hours, typically with fewer than 200 training examples.
"Dexterity is the bottleneck," Google DeepMind said in its release, pointing to five-fingered hands with 22 degrees of freedom that can tie knots, seal zipper bags, and unscrew light bulbs — with a 92% success rate on the light-bulb task.
A Safety Benchmark With a Name
Google also introduced a safety benchmark it calls ASIMOV-Agentic, designed to test whether models refuse unsafe actions and request human intervention when uncertain. The models will compete directly with NVIDIA's Isaac GR00T and Tesla's Optimus for control of the coming wave of general-purpose humanoids, and are currently limited to enterprise partners and early-access programs, with ER 2 accessible via AI Studio. Google's stock rose about 3% in pre-market trading following the announcement.
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