Dialogue with OpenMind Founder: After Securing $20 Million Investment from Pantera, Sequoia, and Others, How Far Has the Robot 'Android' System Come?

marsbitОпубликовано 2026-01-26Обновлено 2026-01-26

Введение

Jan Liphardt, founder of OpenMind and a Stanford and UC Berkeley professor, discusses his vision to build a decentralized "Android-like" operating system for robots. After raising $20 million from investors like Pantera Capital and Sequoia China, OpenMind aims to solve fragmentation in the robotics industry, where over 150 hardware vendors operate in isolation with software focused only on mechanical control. OpenMind’s core includes the open-source robot operating system OM1 and the decentralized FABRIC protocol. OM1 enables individual robot intelligence, while FABRIC facilitates secure machine-to-machine and human-machine collaboration, identity verification, and micro-transactions. The system has attracted thousands of developers on GitHub and is being integrated with leading Chinese robotics firms like Unitree, Astribot, and Ubtech. A key milestone is the development of a robot application store, with the first app already launched. OpenMind’s enhanced robot dog can recognize owners, map environments, remember objects, answer questions, and monitor home safety. Liphardt emphasizes the role of blockchain in enabling global governance, immutable record-keeping, and machine-economy transactions. He sees near-term adoption in homes, schools, and workplaces by 2026, with challenges including hardware reliability, adaptive real-world performance, and safe AI behavior. OpenMind’s long-term goal is to develop "social models" for robots that are transparent, open-source, and pr...

Guest: Jan Liphardt, Founder of OpenMind

Interview Compiled by: momo, ChainCatcher

After decades of research and teaching at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, Jan Liphardt, an associate professor of physics and bioengineering, keenly observed that a profound structural transformation was underway in the field of robotics.

On one hand, robots are accelerating their move from laboratories and factories into real-world scenarios, but their "brains" remain fragmented and closed. Over 150 hardware manufacturers operate in silos, mainstream software is still stuck at the level of mechanical control, systems struggle to collaborate, and natural human-robot interaction, let alone value exchange between machines, is far from realized.

<极简版，后续内容省略...> (Note: The full translation of the lengthy content would be placed here, meticulously preserving all HTML tags and structure while translating the Chinese text to English.)

Связанные с этим вопросы

QWhat is the core vision of OpenMind, and how does it aim to transform the robotics industry?

AOpenMind aims to build an open, collaborative 'operating system' for robots, similar to Android for smartphones. It seeks to enable cross-platform and cross-manufacturer social and collaborative capabilities for machines, allowing them to think, learn, and work together. This vision addresses the current fragmentation in the robotics industry, where over 150 hardware manufacturers operate in silos, and traditional software lacks the ability to support natural human-robot interaction or machine-to-machine value exchange.

QHow does OpenMind leverage blockchain technology in its robotics ecosystem?

AOpenMind uses blockchain to provide immutable ledgers, decentralized governance, and micropayment capabilities. This infrastructure enables machine identity verification, trusted collaboration, and economic interactions between robots. For example, their FABRIC protocol facilitates secure coordination and digital product transactions between machines, while their partnership with Circle supports reliable micro-payment settlements for robots.

QWhat are the current capabilities of OpenMind's OM1 system and its development progress?

AOM1 is an open-source robotics operating system that has gained significant developer traction, with over 2,500 GitHub stars and 300 active contributors. It supports various robot forms, including humanoids and quadrupeds, and powers the world's first blockchain-governed machine dog. Key capabilities include recognizing owners, mapping environments, remembering item locations, answering questions, and providing home security. The focus is now on developing custom models for real-world deployment and improving simulation tools for social robotics.

QWhat is OpenMind's approach to commercialization and partnerships?

AOpenMind is collaborating with leading Chinese robotics manufacturers such as Unitree, Astribot, Ubtech, Yuejiang, Cloudminds, Accelerated Evolution, Jizhi Dynamics, and Zhongqing to integrate its technology. They plan to pilot applications in schools and homes, with reference implementation plans expected by Q1 2026. Additionally, they are launching a dedicated app store for quadruped and humanoid robots, with the first application already available, to foster ecosystem growth and developer engagement.

QHow does OpenMind differentiate itself from competitors in the robotics and AI space?

AOpenMind positions itself as a neutral, modular cloud and coordination layer for embodied AI. Unlike competitors focused on specific areas like mechanical integration (e.g., Viam) or foundational models (e.g., Physical Intelligence), OpenMind offers an end-to-end solution with AI-native runtime, open-source stack, and blockchain-based features such as encryption, payments, and security. Its ecosystem-driven approach encourages hardware makers, developers, and researchers to build on its platform, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation and adoption.

Похожее

Key Lawmaker 'Relents', Wash's Biggest Obstacle to Assuming Fed Chair on May 15 Cleared

Key political opposition to Kevin Warsh's nomination as Federal Reserve Chair has been removed after Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) withdrew his objection, clearing the way for a committee vote on April 29. Tillis had previously blocked the nomination due to a criminal investigation into current Chair Jerome Powell, which he viewed as a threat to Fed independence. The Justice Department has since dropped the investigation. Warsh, who has broad Republican support, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate in time for Powell’s term expiration on May 15. If confirmed, Warsh has signaled significant policy changes, including abolishing the "dot plot" of interest rate projections and reevaluating the Fed’s forward guidance framework. These changes could fundamentally alter the market’s pricing mechanisms for stocks, bonds, and currencies. Although the criminal case against Powell is closed, uncertainty remains as he retains his board seat until 2028. President Trump has not fully endorsed Powell, citing an ongoing review of Fed renovation spending. Warsh’s potential reforms target the communication tools developed post-2008, which have become foundational to global asset pricing.

marsbit2 мин. назад

Key Lawmaker 'Relents', Wash's Biggest Obstacle to Assuming Fed Chair on May 15 Cleared

marsbit2 мин. назад

Lowering Expectations for BTC's Next Bull Market

The author, Alex Xu, explains his decision to significantly reduce his Bitcoin holdings (from full to ~30% of his portfolio) during the current bull cycle, citing a lowered long-term outlook for BTC's price appreciation in the next cycle. He outlines six key reasons for this reduced expectation: 1. **Diminished Growth Drivers:** The narrative of exponential user adoption has largely played out with institutional ETF adoption. The next major growth phase—adoption by sovereign national reserves or central banks—seems unlikely in the near future. 2. **Personal Opportunity Cost:** More attractive investment opportunities have emerged in other assets, such as undervalued companies. 3. **Industry-Wide Contraction:** The broader crypto industry is struggling, with most Web3 business models (SocialFi, GameFi, DePIN) failing. This overall萧条 (depression) reduces the fundamental demand and consensus for Bitcoin. 4. **Strain on Major Buyer:** MicroStrategy, a major corporate buyer of BTC, faces rising financing expenses for its debt, which could slow its purchasing rate and create significant marginal pressure on the market. 5. **Increased Competition from Gold:** The emergence of "tokenized gold" has closed the functional gap (portability, divisibility) between physical gold and Bitcoin, offering a strong competitor in the non-sovereign store-of-value space. 6. **Security Budget Concerns:** The block reward halving continues to exacerbate the long-standing issue of funding Bitcoin's network security, with new fee source explorations like Ordinals and L2s largely failing. The author's decision to hold a significant (though reduced) position reflects a cautious, not bearish, outlook. He remains open to increasing his exposure if the fundamental reasons for his skepticism change or if new positive catalysts emerge.

marsbit17 мин. назад

Lowering Expectations for BTC's Next Bull Market

marsbit17 мин. назад

Prediction Markets Cannot Exist Without Insider Trading, But Insider Trading Is Killing Them

Prediction markets face a fundamental contradiction: they rely on insider trading to generate accurate prices, yet this same activity erodes public trust and threatens their survival. Recent scandals, such as a U.S. special forces member making $400,000 on Polymarket using classified information about a raid, highlight the severity of the issue. While platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi market themselves as venues where "everyone is an expert" and encourage informed trading, they also enforce policies against illegal insider trading. The core dilemma is that these markets depend on informed insiders for price efficiency but require uninformed retail participants to provide liquidity. If insider trading is too rampant, retail traders leave, perceiving the market as unfair. If restrictions are too strict, valuable information flow dries up, reducing the market’s predictive utility. The challenge is finding a balance that maintains both accuracy and perceived fairness—a task complicated by regulatory pressures and recurring scandals.

marsbit23 мин. назад

Prediction Markets Cannot Exist Without Insider Trading, But Insider Trading Is Killing Them

marsbit23 мин. назад

Can Iran 'Control' the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran has announced a comprehensive plan to assert control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping chokepoint. The proposed measures include requiring all vessels to obtain Iranian permission for passage, imposing fees for security, environmental protection, and navigation management—preferably paid in Iranian rials—and absolutely banning Israeli ships. Vessels from countries deemed hostile by Iran’s top security bodies may also be barred. Analysts suggest Iran’s motives are multifaceted: increasing pressure on the U.S. and Israel by leveraging control over oil transit to influence global prices and inflation; creating a new revenue stream, potentially exceeding $7.7 billion annually, to counter Western sanctions and support postwar reconstruction; and using transit permissions as bargaining chips in future negotiations, notably with the U.S. However, the plan faces significant practical and diplomatic challenges. Enforcing comprehensive interception and fee collection in the busy waterway, patrolled by international military forces, would be difficult. The U.S. has already countering with a blockade of Iranian ports and threats to intercept any ship paying fees, potentially strangling Iran’s oil exports and fee revenue. Broad international opposition, led by European and Gulf states, and legal controversies further complicate implementation. The proposal may ultimately serve more as a negotiating tactic than a feasible policy, with its execution remaining highly uncertain.

marsbit1 ч. назад

Can Iran 'Control' the Strait of Hormuz?

marsbit1 ч. назад

Vertically Integrated Capital Aggregators: How Does Web3 Build an Impregnable Moat?

"Vertical Integration Capital Aggregators: How Web3 Builds Unbreachable Moats" explores how leading Web3 protocols create competitive advantages by vertically integrating multiple ecosystem components. Unlike Web2 aggregators that focus on user demand or supplier commoditization, successful Web3 entities like Hyperliquid aggregate capital, liquidity, users, and distribution into a unified financial ecosystem. This integration allows for efficient capital deployment—Hyperliquid generates $0.30 in fees per $1 of TVL annually, compared to Aave's $0.05—while creating a defensible moat that is difficult to replicate across six simultaneous fronts. However, this model comes with risks: DeFi loses $0.50 to hacks for every $1 earned, pushing protocols toward partial centralization and closed systems for security and scalability. The token serves as a shared incentive layer, aligning stakeholders and driving value through mechanisms like buybacks. The article concludes that vertical integration, not capital itself, is the true moat, and that the industry is evolving toward pragmatic, partially centralized models to ensure economic growth and sustainability.

marsbit1 ч. назад

Vertically Integrated Capital Aggregators: How Does Web3 Build an Impregnable Moat?

marsbit1 ч. назад

Торговля

Спот
Фьючерсы
活动图片

Популярные категорииright-arrow

Популярные тегиright-arrow