SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 10, 2026--
Robbyant, an embodied AI company within Ant Group, today announced the release of LingBot-VA 2.0, the industry’s first embodied-native video-action world model.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260709654440/en/
This release marks a key transition in robotics foundation models, shifting from repurposing digital world models to designing them natively for the physical world. Instead of relying on fine-tuned digital content generation models, LingBot-VA 2.0 is built from scratch to meet the original demands of dynamic modeling, causal prediction, and real-time execution in physical environments.
Integrating world models with embodied AI has been one of the major focuses of the AI industry. However, most mainstream approaches rely on video generation models designed for digital content, which are then fine-tuned for robot control. Because content creation prioritizes visual quality and creativity, while robot control requires execution efficiency and physical accuracy, this forced adaptation often leads to knowledge forgetting and reduced generalization.
LingBot-VA 2.0 takes a different approach. By pre-training from scratch using an autoregressive architecture, the model is designed to understand how an action will change the environment and to decide the next step based on that causal prediction.
Core Architectural Innovations
To achieve this, LingBot-VA 2.0 is built on four core designs:
These designs solve the common industry challenge of low execution efficiency in embodied world models, delivering a real-time inference speed of 150 Hz on a single GPU. Furthermore, the model can generalize to new tasks using as few as 20 demonstrations through in-context learning without parameter updates.
A Complete Embodied-Native Full-Stack
LingBot-VA 2.0 serves as the capstone of Robbyant’s recent launch week, which introduced six models that together form a complete embodied-native full-stack for perception, world simulation, and action:
LingBot-Depth 2.0
LingBot-Vision
LingBot-VLA 2.0
LingBot-World 2.0
LingBot-Video
LingBot-VA 2.0
Zhu Xing, CEO of Robbyant, noted, “Robbyant will continue to explore new limits in embodied intelligence while accelerating the development of an open technology and application ecosystem to expedite robot deployment in industrial and real-world scenarios.”
About Robbyant
Robbyant is an embodied intelligence company within Ant Group, dedicated to advancing embodied intelligence through cutting-edge software and hardware technologies. Robbyant independently develops foundational large models for embodied AI and actively explores next-generation intelligent devices, aiming to create robotic companions and caregivers that truly understand and enhance people’s everyday lives and deliver reliable intelligent services across key use cases, such as elderly care, medical assistance, and household tasks.
To learn more about Robbyant, please visit: www.robbyant.com
A robot powered by LingBot-VA 2.0 engages in a real-time tabletop air hockey match with a human
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Intensifying winds whipped palm trees and thundering waves crashed along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on Friday as Hurricane Isaias swirled just offshore, picking up speed as it charged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The Category 3 storm weakened only slightly in the afternoon and was on course to arrive in the evening as a major hurricane — and the first hurricane of an unusually quiet Atlantic season.
“Things are going to get really, really treacherous over the next couple hours,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director for the National Hurricane Center.
Tracking late Friday afternoon showed landfall would likely take place over the western panhandle near the Pensacola area, said Robbie Berg, a national warning coordinator for the hurricane center.
Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.
Wind gusts up to hurricane strength began to lash the Gulf shoreline in the early evening, hours before Isaias was expected to come ashore in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white sand beaches that are dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.
A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle. Several counties announced mandatory evacuations while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew beginning Friday evening until morning.
Residents in Panama City, Florida, braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses.
“I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s Florida," said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department.
One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the hurricane center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. The couple installed hurricane shutters and picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile.
“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”
Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said.
In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company's website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity.
Kelsei Frazier, a Florida-native living in Pace who is no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House Index.
“We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but all the Waffle Houses that I know of within at least a normal range from us are closed,” said Frazier. “Which is a pretty big deal.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways.
The state's national guard deployed about 5,000 soldiers and airmen to help with the response, and search and rescue teams were ready to respond, while some prisons evacuated inmates.
As of early evening, the storm was centered about 55 miles (88 kilometers) south-southeast of Pensacola and moving north at 18 mph (29 kph), with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the hurricane center said. Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the center said.
Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia.
Isaias, which will be the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
The storm grounded most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt the emergency response.
Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said.
On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn't expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 storm on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. These Associated Press journalists also contributed: Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Hallie Golden in Seattle.
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Shahar David, employee at Cafe Bistro, feeds his family before closing as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Marine flags flap in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias as a vehicle passes on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Dauphin Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Surfers swim out to waves as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Silas Bowles, of Gulf Breeze, Fla. films the surf as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mike Howard, foreground, and Joshua Brown board up Perdido Key Sports Bar as Hurricane Isaias approaches Perdido Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
People walk on the beach at sunset as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Daniel and Brand Harp, of Lebanon Tenn., here on vacation, pack their belongings to evacuate in the morning as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
Larry Smith boards up his home with plywood ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
