Sanctuary Phoenix

Sanctuary AI's cognitive humanoid general-purpose robot

Sanctuary Phoenix

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Overview

ItemDetails
ManufacturerSanctuary AI (Vancouver, Canada)
Latest VersionGen 8 (2025.02)
AI SystemCarbon
Core ApproachCognitive Generalization
Price~$40,000 1

Key Significance

Sanctuary AI Phoenix is a humanoid representing the Cognitive Architecture centered approach. While most competitors focus on end-to-end learning or imitation learning, Sanctuary AI implements explainable and auditable robot intelligence through the Carbon platform that mimics the cognitive system of the human brain. With telepresence-based learning, new task automation is possible within 24 hours2, and they are actively entering automotive manufacturing through partnership with Magna.

Company Background

Sanctuary AI

ItemDetails
Founded2018
HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
CEOGeordie Rose (D-Wave Co-founder)
Core Mission”Creating the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots”

Sanctuary AI is a company founded by Geordie Rose, co-founder of D-Wave Systems (quantum computers), with the goal of physical implementation of artificial general intelligence (AGI). It represents the Canadian AI robotics ecosystem based in Vancouver.

Funding and Partnerships

  • Series A (2022.03): $75.5M - Magna Technology Investments participation 3
  • Magna Strategic Partnership (2024): Manufacturing cooperation and equity investment 4
  • Microsoft Azure Partnership (2024.05): Cloud infrastructure integration

Technical Specifications

Source: Sanctuary AI official website, QVIRO, Humanoid.guide (2024 basis) Specs may vary by generation; latest information should be confirmed from official sources.

Hardware

ItemSpecSource
Height170 cmQVIRO, Humanoid.guide
Weight70 kgQVIRO, Humanoid.guide
Hand DoF20 (both hands)Sanctuary AI official
Max Payload25 kgQVIRO
Movement Speed4.8 km/hNew Atlas
MobilityWheel platform (hybrid, legs mounted)New Atlas

Hands

Phoenix’s greatest strength is its 20 DoF hands similar to human hands:

  • Proprietary haptic feedback technology
  • Human-level fine manipulation capability
  • Tactile sensing integration
  • Durability-enhanced design (Gen 7+)

Operating Modes

  1. Direct Piloted: Teleoperation
  2. Pilot-Assist: Semi-autonomous
  3. Autonomous: Full autonomy based on Carbon AI

Carbon AI System

Carbon is Sanctuary AI’s proprietary Cognitive Architecture platform.

Architecture Components

Carbon Architecture
├── Cognitive Systems
│   ├── Memory
│   ├── Vision
│   ├── Auditory
│   └── Touch
├── Reasoning Engine
│   ├── Symbolic & Logical Reasoning
│   └── Explainable Decision Making
├── AI Technology Integration
│   ├── LLM (Natural Language Understanding)
│   ├── Deep Learning
│   └── Reinforcement Learning
└── Action Systems
    ├── Task Planning
    └── Motion Planning

Source: Sanctuary AI Technology page and New Atlas technical analysis (2023-2024)

Key Features

  • Explainability: Decision-making process is auditable
  • Natural Language Interface: Converts language commands to actual actions
  • Goal-seeking Behaviors: Agency-based autonomy
  • Domain-specific Extensibility: Applicable to various industries

Learning Method

Telepresence-based imitation learning:

  1. Operator wears VR headset + motion capture
  2. Receives robot’s visual/tactile feedback in real-time
  3. Robot observes and learns patterns from operator behavior
  4. Automatically builds task-specific action repertoire
  5. Transitions to autonomous execution upon reaching threshold

Generational Evolution

Source: Sanctuary AI official announcements, TechCrunch, New Atlas (2023-2025)

GenerationReleaseKey Improvements
Gen 52023.01First commercial deployment
Gen 6Mid-2023Legs introduced, TIME 2023 Best Inventions selected
Gen 72024.0450x faster task automation speed, 24-hour new task learning
Gen 82025.02High-quality data capture optimization, FOV/telemetry improvements

Gen 7 Major Improvements (2024.04 Announcement)

  • Significantly improved visual accuracy and tactile sensing
  • Increased range of motion for wrists, hands, elbows
  • Miniaturized hydraulic system (reduced weight, power consumption, complexity)
  • Reduced manufacturing costs and improved production speed
  • “The closest system to human” - Geordie Rose CEO

Gen 8 Major Improvements (2025.02 Announcement)

  • Optimized for high-quality training data capture
  • Expanded field of view (FOV)
  • Improved telemetry system
  • Enhanced human-robot interaction
  • Reduced manufacturing/commissioning time

Magna Partnership

Background

  • Magna International: Canada-based global automotive parts manufacturer
  • Investor in Sanctuary AI since 2021 (participated in $75.5M Series A)

Partnership Details (April 2024 Announcement) 4

  1. Phoenix Deployment at Magna Manufacturing Facilities
  2. Contract Manufacturing of Phoenix Robots: Utilizing Magna’s automotive manufacturing capabilities
  3. Cost/Scalability Evaluation: Robot improvements using Magna engineering know-how
  4. Strategic Equity Investment: Deepened collaboration relationship

Significance

  • Current automotive manufacturing automation rate is about 10% → Large growth opportunity 5
  • Competitive landscape with Mercedes-Benz/Apptronik, BMW/Figure, Tesla/Optimus
  • Partnership between Canadian companies strengthens local ecosystem

Industrial Deployment Status

Sanctuary AI has demonstrated hundreds of tasks across more than 12 industries (as of 2024):

IndustryApplication Area
Automotive ManufacturingMagna factory pilot
LogisticsItem sorting, picking
RetailInventory management
AerospaceParts assembly

Competitive Comparison

Note: The table below is based on estimates from 2024-2025 public sources. Specifications for each manufacturer may vary by version/configuration; latest information should be confirmed from official sources. Last Updated: 2025.02

FeaturePhoenixFigure 02Optimus
ApproachCognitive ArchitectureVLA (Helix)End-to-End
Hand DoF20 624 722+3 8
MobilityWheel (hybrid)Bipedal walkingBipedal walking
Learning Time~24 hoursNot disclosedNot disclosed
Price~$40K~$100K+$20-30K (target)

Phoenix’s Differentiators:

  • Explainable AI based on cognitive architecture
  • Fast task learning (within 24 hours)
  • Mature haptic hand technology
  • Manufacturing partnership with Magna

Technology Roadmap

Current (2025)

  • Gen 8 deployment and data collection optimization
  • Full-scale Magna factory pilot
  • Wide-sale version development

Future Direction

  • Full bipedal walking version development
  • Carbon AI advancement
  • Global manufacturing expansion

Official Materials

News and Analysis

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Based on Robozaps 2024 review. Actual price may vary by configuration and contract terms. ↩

  2. Based on TechCrunch 2024.04 report. Applicable from Gen 7 onwards. ↩

  3. Based on The Robot Report 2024.04 report. ↩

  4. Based on Sanctuary AI official announcement 2024.04. ↩ ↩2

  5. The Robot Report 2024 estimate. ↩

  6. Sanctuary AI official announcement. ↩

  7. Based on Figure AI 2024 announcement. ↩

  8. Based on Tesla 2024 disclosure. ↩