MEMS: The Sensory Nervous System for Embodied AI Robots

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rise of embodied artificial intelligence (embodied AI) marks a pivotal shift in AI, moving it from the digital realm into the physical world. This transition aims to create autonomous robots capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting in complex unstructured environments. Achieving this goal demands unprecedented capabilities for robots to comprehensively perceive both their external surroundings and internal states. However, traditional sensors cannot meet the requirement of robotic perception systems due to limitations in size and power consumption. In this context, micro‐electromechanical system (MEMS) technology emerges as a critical enabler for advancing next‐generation robotic perception capabilities. Its core advantages, including miniaturization, low power consumption, high integration, and cost‐effectiveness, make it ideal for this role. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in MEMS sensing technologies specifically designed for embodied AI robots. By integrating diverse MEMS sensors, such as those for ranging, inertia, tactile, hearing, and olfaction, robots can achieve rich multimodal perception. These highly integrated sensing systems provide a robust technological foundation for robot applications in various fields, demonstrating the immense potential of MEMS technology in promoting autonomy, safety, and interactive capabilities in robots. In essence, the future of embodied AI will be built upon a powerful symbiosis: MEMS providing the rich semantic‐aware 'sensory neurons' and AI models providing the 'cognitive brain'. This fusion promises to usher in an era of truly perceptive and intelligent machines.