Author: Zhonghong Xiang Institution: Qianjia Smartech / Red Anchor Lab Date: February 2026
Abstract
At the historic intersection of the
exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and the explosion of
Generative AI (AIGC) computing power, the intelligentization of human
habitation has fallen into a deep paradox of "ubiquitous connectivity but
scarce intelligence." We are surrounded by countless apps, sensors, and
smart gadgets, yet we remain living in a silent, cold physical container that
fails to comprehend human intent. This paper aims to break the path dependence
of current technological development. By deeply analyzing the evolutionary
limitations of Embodied AI and Ambient Intelligence, we formally propose a
convergent theoretical paradigm: "Space-Embodied AI."
This paper posits that the endgame of
intelligent evolution is not merely to endow robots with humanoid bodies
(Embodiment), but to trigger an "Ontological Awakening" of the
physical space itself, evolving it into an organic life form capable of
omnipresent perception, causal reasoning, and physical synergy. Based on the SSSU
(Standard Space Unit) atomic deconstruction theory, the
Space²
physical flow
management architecture, and the NBT (Narrative Blockchain Token) value
anchoring network, we construct a complete ontology for spatial computing. We
demonstrate that under this new paradigm, robots will evolve from
"external visitors" of a space to "endogenous organs," and
predict the decisive role of this technology in resolving Earth's aging housing
crisis and constructing Interstellar Habitats on Mars. This is not just a
technological revolution, but a manifesto for humanity's leap from "living
in machines" to "symbiosis with machines."
Keywords: Space-Embodied AI; Space² ; SSSU; M-Core; Human Habitat; Ontological Reconstruction
Chapter 1: Introduction
The "Field-Oriented" Turn and
the End of Silence
1.1 The Dilemma: A
Fragmented Babel and Forgotten Space
If a geek living in 2024 attempts to
build a "fully intelligent" home, they inevitably fall into a
Sisyphean absurdity: they can turn on the air conditioner from five kilometers
away via a smartphone, yet cannot make the air conditioner automatically raise the
temperature by two degrees when it senses they have a fever. They possess a
robot vacuum that avoids socks, but when a kitchen leak floods the living room,
this robot acts like a tireless fool, spreading the sewage evenly across the
floor.
This depicts the reality of smart home
development over the past two decades—a path of "Addiction to
Addition." We frantically stack smart items in our spaces: from Bluetooth
speakers to smart locks, from humidity sensors to automatic feeders. Each
product appears incredibly smart on its spec sheet, yet in physical space, they
constitute a "Fragmented Babel."
·
Islands
of Data: Smart lights collect illumination data every second, but this data
never flows to the motorized curtains, leaving curtains open under direct sunlight
while the air conditioner runs at full load.
·
Severed
Perception: The LiDAR of a vacuum robot builds a perfect floor plan, yet the
security camera remains ignorant of how many chairs are in the house or how the
layout has changed.
The fundamental contradiction lies here:
Embodied AI (Robots) has a body but no field; Ambient Intelligence (IoT) has
perception but no action. The robot acts like a visitor with high IQ but
blindfolded eyes, struggling through an obstacle-filled maze; while the space
itself remains a silent, passive physical container. The walls do not know you
are cold; the floor does not know you have fallen; the air does not know you
are anxious. This status quo of "ubiquitous connectivity with absent
intelligence" forces us to rethink the physical form of intelligence.
1.2 The Paradigm
Revolution: From "Ghost" to "Flesh"
As a critical turning point in the
evolution of AI, the proposal of "Space-Embodied AI" is not to invent
a new term, but to solve an old pain. It marks a shift in our understanding of
intelligence from focusing on the isolated "Shell (Individual)" to
focusing on the holistic "Field."
In traditional computer science
metaphors, software is the ghost, and hardware is the flesh. Under the
definition of Space-Embodied AI, Space itself is the flesh. The core logic is: The
basic unit of human survival is not the isolated individual, but
"Space." A robot without space is a wanderer; a space without
intelligence is a cave. Therefore, the ultimate goal of intelligentization
should not stop at connecting devices, but should strive for the "Awakening"
of the space as a whole.
Under this new paradigm, we redefine the
concept of a "Robot":
·
Traditional
Definition: An independent mobile device with a metal shell, motors, and chips.
·
Space-Embodied
Definition: Any physical entity possessing a closed loop of Sensor, Compute,
and Actuator.
By this definition, your bedroom is a
robot—its skin is the temperature sensor, its muscles are the motorized
curtains and fresh air motors, and its brain is the edge computing node. By the
same logic, an autonomous vehicle is a wheeled Space-Embodied Robot; a skyscraper
is a giant stationary Space-Embodied Robot; and a future Mars Habitat is a
super Space-Embodied Robot integrated with life support systems.
This transformation unifies the
fragmented industries of smart homes, smart buildings, robotics, and even urban
planning under the grand framework of "Spatial Awakening." We are no
longer renovating houses; we are constructing life.
Chapter 2: The Genealogy of Intelligence
Evolution and Gaps from Ubiquitous
Computing to Space-Embodied AI
"The problem we need to solve is
not how to make devices smarter, but how to make devices disappear into
space."
Before unfolding the architecture of
Space²
, we must look back at the exploration of computer science in physical
space over the past thirty years. Through a literature review of Ubiquitous
Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and Embodied AI, we find that despite
exponential growth in connection numbers, humanity faces a profound gap in the
"essence of intelligence."
Space²
was born to bridge this gap.
2.1 The Origin:
Ubiquitous Computing and "Disappearing Tech"
In 1991, Mark Weiser, Chief Scientist at
Xerox PARC, proposed a seminal idea in his classic The Computer for the 21st Century:
"The most profound technologies are
those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life
until they are indistinguishable from it."
Weiser depicted a future of
"Ubiquitous Computing": computing is no longer confined to boxes on
desktops but diffused into the environment like text.
·
Achievements:
We have achieved this. As Benjamin Bratton described in The Stack, the Earth's
surface is covered by a computational membrane of sensors, fiber optics, and
radio waves.
·
Unresolved
Issues: Technology has not "disappeared"; instead, it has become more
"Intrusive." Today's smart homes are filled with screens demanding
our operation and speakers waiting to be woken up. This "High-Attention
Interaction" violates the original intention of Ubiquitous Computing—the
absence of Calm Technology is the greatest regret of the current era.
2.2 Critique of the
Status Quo: The Fragmented Babel of IoT
In the 21st century, Kevin Ashton's
concept of the "Internet of Things" began to land. However, academia
and industry generally agree that current IoT is stuck in a bottleneck of
"ubiquitous connectivity but scarce intelligence."
·
Device-Centric
Limitations: Existing research focuses mainly on the intelligence of single
devices. Literature shows that traditional standalone products (like smart
speakers, ACs) govern themselves, leading to data silos. This results in
"Islands of Automation"—the AC doesn't know the status of the
curtains; the lights don't know the rhythm of the speaker.
·
The
False Proposition of Interoperability: Although protocols like Matter attempt
to unify communication standards, they only solve the problem of "language
barriers," not "divergent thoughts." Current IoT systems lack a
unified Causal Reasoning Kernel. Systems cannot understand the correlation
between physical events (e.g., opening a window leads to a temperature drop)
and can only execute rigid IF-THEN scripts.
2.3 The Research Gap:
Who Acts as the "Nervous System" of Space?
We face a massive Ontological Gap:
1.
We
have the Brain (Cloud AI Models).
2.
We
have the Limbs (Embodied Robots).
3.
We
have the Nerve Endings (IoT Sensors).
4.
But
we lack a unified "Central Nervous System" to manage physical space
itself.
Existing architectural research focuses
on static spatial structures, while computer science focuses on virtual data
processing. There is a lack of a deep "Handshake Protocol" between
the two. Specifically in the field of interstellar exploration, NASA's architecture
documents indicate that future deep space habitats must be highly autonomous
closed ecosystems. Existing Windows/Android or even ROS (Robot Operating
System) are incompetent for the task of managing a "breathing
building."
This is why we propose Space-Embodied AI—to solve the core question left unanswered by predecessors: How do we reconstruct physical space itself into an organic life form with perception, thought, and execution capabilities?
Chapter 3: Theoretical Foundations
Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and
Operating System
To realize the vision of "Space as
Machine," we cannot stop at philosophical discourse. As an engineering
discipline, we must establish a rigorous Technical Ontology to solve the underlying
problems of precise mapping, real-time interaction, and safe control between
the World of Atoms and the World of Bits.
3.1 Atomization of
Space: SSSU Theory
Computer science changed the world by
abstracting everything into "0" and "1". For architecture
to embrace intelligence, it must find its own "0" and "1".
To bring non-standardized physical space into the realm of computation, we
propose the SSSU (Standard Space Unit) theory. SSSU is the minimal unit
protocol that deconstructs physical space into computable, callable objects.
·
Digital
Encapsulation of Physical Properties: Every SSSU (e.g., a wall, a lamp, a fresh
air vent) carries a Digital Descriptor upon manufacturing. This descriptor
contains not only its ID but also its physical limit parameters (e.g., thermal
capacity, mechanical strength).
·
Programmable
Dynamic Reconfiguration: SSSU endows space with "Liquidity."
Traditional architecture is rigid; once a function is established (e.g.,
"this is a bedroom"), it is hard to change. Under the SSSU system,
via software-defined instructions, the same physical space can be reconfigured
in milliseconds from "Bedroom Mode" to "Immersive Meeting
Mode" or "Yoga Meditation Mode" by adjusting lighting spectra,
wall transparency, and furniture layout. Architects are no longer artisans
drawing blueprints, but programmers writing spatial code.
3.2 The Core:
Space²
and M-Core Microkernel
If space is a giant robot with thousands
of "organs" (SSSU), who commands them? Existing operating systems are
unfit for this task: Windows/Linux manage Information Flow; Android/iOS manage Interaction
Flow. Space-Embodied AI requires an OS that manages Physical Flow. Thus,
Space²
was born. It is the underlying soul supporting Space-Embodied AI. Its core lies
in the deeply customized M-Core Microkernel Architecture, the world's first
kernel designed for physical causality, multi-modal interaction, and spatial
safety.
M-Core's Design Philosophy:
1.
Physical
Causality:
Space²
must be a physicist. When a user issues a "Open
Window" command, the M-Core kernel immediately deduces the causal chain:
Outdoor noise 70dB -> Indoor acoustic environment destroyed -> Refuse
Execution or Warn of Risk.
2.
Multi-modal
Fusion: M-Core establishes a full-sensory "Perceptual Ether Layer,"
integrating Acoustic Sensing and mmWave Radar. It can detect a "fall"
event through the cross-verification of breathing rate anomalies and the thud
of impact, without invading privacy via cameras.
3.
Safety
First: In physical space, a system error can cause fire or injury. M-Core
writes Safety Logic into the lowest layer of the kernel (Ring 0). Regardless of
how aggressive the upper-layer AI algorithms are, M-Core retains the highest
priority hardware kill switch to cut power or close valves upon detecting
overload or toxic gas. This is the inviolable "Asimov's Law" of
Space-Embodied AI.
3.3 Physical
Simulation: Vera Rubin Architecture
To give
Space²
true
"Wisdom"—the ability to look before leaping—we introduce the Vera
Rubin Computing Architecture. Before driving any physical actuator, the Vera
Rubin computing layer performs a millisecond-level "Rehearsal" in a "Digital
Twin" parallel universe.
·
·
Chapter 4: Biological Metaphors
From "Visitors" to
"Organs"
Space-Embodied AI is also a biological
reconstruction of the human-machine relationship.
4.1 Ontological Shift
of Robots: Breaking the "Island"
In traditional models, service robots
are "Visitors." They enter a strange environment like blind cleaners,
struggling to map and avoid obstacles. They are in an adversarial relationship
with the home. In the Space-Embodied framework, robots become "Discrete
Spatial Organs."
Space²
uses the MIP (Mounting Interface Protocol) to
"mount" robots onto the spatial system, just like plugging a graphics
card into a motherboard.
·
Complementarity:
Stationary sensors (cameras, radar) act as "Skeleton and Nerves,"
providing a wide-area God View. Mobile robots act as "Limbs and
Blood," providing dexterous near-field operation.
·
Symbiosis:
Once connected to
Space²
, a robot no longer needs to map the room. The space
downloads the real-time map to the robot. If you spill coffee, the ceiling
camera identifies the liquid and coordinates and directs the cleaning robot:
"Go to [X,Y], execute wet mop mode. No scanning needed." This is not
teamwork; this is a brain commanding a hand.
4.2 Externalized Nervous
System Hypothesis
From an evolutionary biology
perspective, Space-Embodied AI is the Externalized Nervous System of humanity.
·
Sensory
Extension: Distributed sensor networks give humans super-senses. We can
"see" a heartbeat through walls via radar; "smell"
invisible formaldehyde via sensors.
·
Cognitive
Offloading:
Space²
takes over cognitive loads. We no longer need to remember
"when to open the window." Space takes over these trivial survival
tasks, much like our Autonomic Nervous System regulates heart rate. Human
consciousness is liberated to focus on creation and emotion.
Chapter 5: Value and Emotion
NBT and the "Ontology of
Memory"
If SpaceOS solves the "IQ" of
space, this chapter explores the "EQ." Current smart homes are "Amnesiac."
They do not remember your tears or your laughter. Space-Embodied AI posits: A
space without memory is a container; a space with memory is a Home.
5.1 Narrative
Blockchain Token (NBT): Digital Patina
We introduce NBT not as a financial
tool, but as a protocol for Spatiotemporal Data Storage and Rights. It is the "Digital
Hippocampus" of space.
·
Digital
Patina: Just as a teapot gains a sheen over time, space gains "data
patina" through inhabitation. NBT records Narratives, not logs. When
sensors detect a quarrel (high decibels, high heart rate),
Space²
generates an
encrypted NBT block labeled "High Stress Emotional Event."
·
Causal
Feedback: Minutes later, M-Core retrieves this record and automatically adjusts
lights to a soft 2700K and releases calming lavender scent to actively repair
the relationship. This is the transition from "Passive Service" to
"Active Empathy."
5.2 Emotional
Re-engineering of the Six Elements
Traditional architecture focuses on
bricks; Space-Embodied AI focuses on the "Six Spatial Elements":
Light, Air, Sound, Electromagnetic Waves, Power, and Visual Imagery. Under
Space²
, these become media for neural modulation.
·
Light
as Emotion: Synchronizing with ipRGCs to regulate melatonin.
·
Air
as Consciousness: Programmable air components (O2 concentration, pheromone
simulation) to physically boost focus or induce relaxation.
· Vision as Interface: Walls disappear, replaced by "Ubiquitous Display." Windows become interfaces to any spacetime, curing urban claustrophobia by rendering Martian sunsets or localized landscapes instantly.
Chapter 6: Interstellar Inevitability
From Earth Testbeds to Mars Habitats
The most profound aspect of
Space-Embodied AI is its necessity for the future. Smart homes on Earth are
toys for comfort; Space-Embodied AI on Mars is a necessity for survival.
6.1 Earth as
Prototype
Our projects on Earth—the "Magic
Cube" modular robots, the "Red Anchor" base in Lanzhou—are
technical rehearsals for becoming a "Multi-Planetary Species." Earth
offers a margin for error. If
Space²
crashes here, we open a window. In space,
a crash means death. Our "Red Anchor Base" acts as a "Stress
Test Capsule," training
Space²
's "Survival Algorithms" to
prioritize Life Support Systems (LSS) over entertainment when energy is
critical, embedding Asimov's Laws into the kernel.
6.2 Interstellar
Habitats: The Ultimate "Space-Embodied Robot"
On Mars, the external environment is
lethal. The Habitat must be a highly enclosed, self-sufficient,
super-intelligent "Space-Embodied Robot."
·
God
View of Closed Ecosystems:
Space²
manages the metabolism of the base—purifying
every drop of urine, managing every watt of power.
·
Psychological
Firewall: The greatest enemy in deep space is loneliness.
Space²
uses
NBT-synchronized "Earth Memory Packages" to recreate the sound of
rain and the smell of soil from an astronaut's childhood home inside the
Martian bunker via full-sensory rendering. This is the Psychological Firewall
preserving human sanity.
6.3 Planetary Scale
Computation
As predicted by Benjamin Bratton, thousands of connected Mars bases will form a "Planetary Scale Computation" layer. Space² evolves from managing a room to managing the metabolism of a planet. Mars will be the first "Awakened" planet.
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Ontological Reconstruction and
Civilizational Leap
7.1 From
"Tool" to "Partner"
Space-Embodied AI marks the third leap
in human-machine history:
1.
Humans
used tools.
2.
Humans
operated machines.
3.
Humans
live inside the machine.
When we inhabit a space driven by
Space²
, we are no longer users, but Symbionts. Space becomes our externalized
skin and nerves.
7.2 A Call for
Spatial Architects
This paper is a Recruitment Call. The
era calls for "Spatial Architects" who understand both concrete
stress and Python logic; architectural aesthetics and neural network weights.
As Le Corbusier famously declared "A house is a machine for living
in," today we respond: "Yes, and this machine has awakened."
In the future, whether in crowded Earth
megacities or on the desolate red plains of Mars, we will live within vast,
breathing, thinking, empathetic intelligent life forms. This is the ultimate
form of human habitation.
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