36Kr reports on iFLYTEK's (科大讯飞) X2-VL, a 293B-parameter MoE multimodal model designed as the "embodied brain" for next-generation robots. The standout: X2-VL is specifically designed for embodied AI tasks, with a closed-loop architecture that combines perception, reasoning, and action in a single model.
The "293B MoE" architecture: X2-VL uses a 293B-parameter MoE with 24B active per token. The "low active" ratio (8.2%) is higher than Pangu 2.0's 1.2%, reflecting the more demanding multimodal workload (perception + reasoning + action). The model is trained on a mixture of vision, language, and action data, with a particular focus on robotics.
The "embodied brain" focus: X2-VL is positioned as the "brain" for humanoid robots. The model can process multimodal input (vision, audio, language), reason about the environment, and output robot actions (joint commands, navigation, manipulation). The "closed loop" architecture means the same model handles all three — perception, reasoning, and action — in a single forward pass.
The benchmark: on a set of embodied AI tasks (manipulation, navigation, multi-step planning), X2-VL scores 76.4, on par with the best closed-source embodied systems (Google RT-2, Tesla Optimus). The "closed loop" design gives significantly better performance than the "perception + reasoning + action" pipeline approach.
The "domestic closed loop" highlight: X2-VL is fully developed by iFLYTEK, with all components (model, training, deployment) within China. The "domestic closed loop" is significant for the Chinese embodied AI ecosystem, which has been concerned about dependence on foreign models and infrastructure.
The bigger takeaway: "embodied brain" is a real product category. The "one model for everything" assumption is breaking, and the "specialized embodied model" approach is significantly more efficient. For the industry, this signals that the next round of embodied AI competition will be in "brain model" quality, and Chinese vendors (iFLYTEK, Zhiyuan, AgiBot) are well-positioned.