Base Adds Robotics Track for Embodied AI Startups

The "Base Batches 003: Robotics" initiative is a program led by the AI agent platform, Virtuals Protocol, and endorsed by Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network incubated by Coinbase. This track is designed to attract developers to build within the Base ecosystem, offering up to $50,000 in funding and mentorship to successful applicants. Selected teams will also get to present at a Demo Day in San Francisco and gain access to a robotics lab equipped with approximately 30 Unitree G1 Humanoid robots. Virtuals Protocol's core mission is to establish an "Agentic GDP (aGDP)," where autonomous AI agents can perform real-world work, handle payments, and generate economic value on-chain. The move into robotics is framed as the next logical step, aiming to solve the current lack of structural integration for identity, permissions, and payments in robotics, which is seen as a barrier to large-scale deployment beyond closed systems. The protocol itself is built on Base and enables the creation and tokenization of these AI agents. The focus on embodied AI is timely, as the industry is seeing rapid advancements. In 2026, humanoid robots are moving beyond basic motion to perform complex tasks like martial arts, and some are being deployed in real-world scenarios like chemical parks and data centers. China, for instance, reported having over 140 humanoid-robot manufacturers by 2025. This push is largely driven by breakthroughs in AI capabilities and the increasing power of AI chips. Simultaneously, the autonomous vehicle sector is projected to hit a major turning point in 2026. Companies like Waymo are expanding their robotaxi services to more cities, with plans to deliver one million rides per week globally by the end of the year. This expansion is fueled by advancements in vision-language-action (VLA) models and the use of more cost-effective solid-state lidar sensors. For a software engineer targeting this field, a strong command of Python and C++ is essential, with Python being dominant for AI/ML applications and C++ for performance-critical, real-time control. Expertise in the Robot Operating System (ROS) is a widely recognized industry standard for developing robotics applications. On the embedded systems side, proficiency with microcontrollers and single-board computers like Raspberry Pi and NVIDIA Jetson is crucial for managing sensors, actuators, and real-time processing. A deep understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS) is also indispensable for managing multiple tasks and ensuring the deterministic behavior required in robotics. Familiarity with AI and machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch is a must-have for developing the intelligence that drives modern robots. Skills in computer vision and reinforcement learning are particularly in high demand for tasks ranging from navigation and object recognition to complex manipulation. This initiative by Virtuals Protocol on the Base platform represents a significant convergence of AI, blockchain, and robotics. It aims to create a new economic paradigm where software agents have direct control over and interaction with the physical world, a foundational step toward a future populated by autonomous, economically productive robotic systems.