In  2025, robotics is no longer limited to clunky arms bolted to assembly  lines anymore, now robots can see, speak, and act with remarkable  intelligence. This powerful combination is shaping the future of  robotics, turning mechanical systems into intelligent partners capable  of understanding, communicating, and making decisions.

VLA models integrate AI systems with what robots see (vision),  hear and understand (language), and do (action), enabling them to  interact with the world around them. As the humanoid robot market surges  to $2.92 billion this year, VLA is the secret sauce driving this boom.

When Robots Learn to See

For a long time, robots could only follow fixed instructions. But  now, with computer vision, they can actually see and interpret the  environment. At its core, vision starts with encoders like Vision Transformers (ViT) or DINOv2,  which help robots understand images such as recognizing objects,  measuring depth, and knowing how things can be used, even AI powered  cameras and sensors help robots recognize human emotions through facial  expressions. For example, Tesla’s Optimus robot uses cameras from its  self-driving car to move around factories, spotting tools and people.

So, computer vision gives robots the ability to understand their  surroundings just like humans, but faster and with more precision.