Jizai Joins Hitachi Construction Machinery's GENIAC-Selected R&D Program on Physical AI That Learns Hydraulic Excavator Operator Skills

Jizai Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Yuki Ishikawa; hereinafter “Jizai”) announces that it will participate in the “Research and Development of Physical AI That Learns Hydraulic Excavator Operator Operations” (the “Program”), which Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo; President and Executive Officer: Masafumi Senzaki; hereinafter “Hitachi Construction Machinery”) will launch in October 2026. The Program has been selected for the Robotics Foundation Model R&D Project of GENIAC (Generative AI Accelerator Challenge), a national project promoted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) with the aim of strengthening Japan’s development capabilities and social implementation of generative AI, and will be carried out through industry-academia collaboration among Hitachi Construction Machinery, Jizai, and the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST).

Program Overview

The Program aims to develop physical AI that learns the lever operations of hydraulic excavator operators from camera footage, work instructions, and other inputs, and then determines and executes appropriate operations according to conditions at the work site. In addition to normal operations, the AI will be trained on recovery processes following operational errors and on operation data collected under diverse conditions, such as weather, surroundings, and the position of target objects, with the goal of achieving high-precision work at actual construction sites. In the longer term, the Program envisions autonomous operation for tasks such as debris removal at disaster sites and excavation and loading at construction and mining sites.

Excavation work by a medium-sized hydraulic excavator (Photo courtesy of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.)

Background and Jizai’s Initiatives

The construction and mining industries face labor shortages as well as a growing need to improve safety and productivity in harsh working environments. Operating a hydraulic excavator requires responding to conditions that differ from site to site, such as the shape and position of target objects, the surroundings, and the weather. Autonomous operation therefore requires AI that can recognize its surroundings and determine appropriate operations.

Jizai has pursued the research, development, and real-world deployment of physical AI through its general-purpose AI robot “Palmimo,” and, through its Physical AI R&D business, supports companies in applying AI to their robots and machines, from R&D through on-site deployment. In the Program, Jizai will apply the expertise gained from these activities to the field of construction machinery and, guided by its vision of a world “where frontier technology and humanity thrive together,” accelerate the real-world deployment of physical AI.

About the NEDO Project

The Program is carried out as a theme selected under the “Post-5G Information and Communication System Infrastructure Enhancement R&D Project / Research and Development of Robot Foundation Models (GENIAC) (Subsidy)” publicly solicited by NEDO.

NEDO announcement of the selected projects (in Japanese): https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/CD3_100434.html
Hitachi Construction Machinery news release (September 9, 2026): https://www.hitachicm.com/global/en/news/press-releases/2026/26-09-09/

About Jizai Inc.

Jizai was founded as a company that creates value for society by dramatically accelerating the social implementation of advanced technologies such as AI and robotics. The company drives real-world deployment across both AI software and AI hardware, including its AI DX / AI SaaS business and its AI robotics business.

Company Name: Jizai Inc.
Representative: Yuki Ishikawa, CEO
Headquarters: HiRAKU GATE, 2-3-10 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Established: June 2024
Business Areas: Planning, development, and provision of advanced technology services including generative AI and robotics
Corporate Website: https://jizai.ai

＜Inquiries Regarding This Release＞
Company: Jizai Inc.
Contact: PR Team
E-mail: [email protected]