Physical AI: NEC Robots Learn to Read Body Language and Stress

On March 12, 2026, Japanese corporation NEC presented a breakthrough in robotics—Physical AI (embodied AI) that not only sees a person but also understands their physical and psychological state.

The system generates a dynamic model of the world. By analyzing micro-motor skills, heart rate (via computer vision), and movement trajectory, NEC's algorithms can predict a person's intentions in fractions of a second and assess their stress level. This is a critical barrier for safe interaction in factories and hospitals: an industrial manipulator or a medical robot nurse can now preventively stop movement or change its trajectory if it "understands" that the person nearby is scared, has stumbled, or is performing an atypical action.

Source: NEC Corporation Press Release