Knowledge / The Physical AI Stack

The Physical AI Stack

A systems-level map of perception, reasoning, planning, policy, control, simulation, data and hardware.

1. Perception

Cameras, tactile sensors, proprioception and other signals provide observations of the environment and robot state.

2. Reasoning

Higher-level models interpret goals, context, spatial relationships and multi-step tasks.

3. Planning

Planning converts goals into sequences or trajectories that can be executed.

4. Policy

Learned policies map observations and context to actions.

5. Control

Controllers translate desired behavior into actuator-level commands while respecting physical constraints.

6. Simulation & Data

Simulation, demonstrations and real-world interaction provide experience for training and evaluation.

7. Hardware

Embodiment ultimately depends on sensors, actuators, compute, power, mechanics and end effectors.

Primary source

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Editorial guide · Reviewed September 2026