mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Physically Native World Models: A Hamiltonian Perspective on Generative World Modeling

arXiv 2605.00412 ↗First posted 1 May 2026cs.AI cs.ROcited by 1

On the map: World models → Latent predictive world models

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Abstract (arXiv)

World models have recently re-emerged as a central paradigm for embodied intelligence, robotics, autonomous driving, and model-based reinforcement learning. However, current world model research is often dominated by three partially separated routes: 2D video-generative models that emphasize visual future synthesis, 3D scene-centric models that emphasize spatial reconstruction, and JEPA-like latent models that emphasize abstract predictive representations. While each route has made important progress, they still struggle to provide physically reliable, action-controllable, and long-horizon stable predictions for embodied decision making. In this paper, we argue that the bottleneck of world models is no longer only whether they can generate realistic futures, but whether those futures are physically meaningful and useful for action. We propose Hamiltonian World Models as a physically grounded perspective on world modeling. The key idea is to encode observations into a structured latent phase space, evolve the latent state through Hamiltonian-inspired dynamics with control, dissipation, and residual terms, decode the predicted trajectory into future observations, and use the resulting rollouts for planning. We discuss how Hamiltonian structure may improve interpretability, data efficiency, and long-horizon stability, while also noting practical challenges in real-world robotic scenes involving friction, contact, non-conservative forces, and deformable objects.

Key facts. Cited by 1 paper in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Latent predictive world models, one of 11 directions in World models. Builds on 13 of its 36 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 1 May 2026.

Builds on

13 of 36 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2024Revisiting Feature Prediction for Learning Visual Representations from Video15 Feb
  2. 2023Self-Supervised Learning from Images with a Joint-Embedding Predictive Architecture19 Jan

Other references · 11

  1. 2017Attention Is All You Needcited by 60,361
  2. 2023GPT-4 Technical Reportcited by 18,396
  3. 2023Mamba: Linear-Time Sequence Modeling with Selective State Spacescited by 4,718
  4. 2023RT-2: Vision-Language-Action Models Transfer Web Knowledge to Robotic Controlcited by 3,080
  5. 2022Video Diffusion Modelscited by 2,305
  6. 2023PaLM-E: An Embodied Multimodal Language Modelcited by 2,071
  7. 2018World Modelscited by 1,513
  8. 2023Mastering Diverse Domains through World Modelscited by 1,253
  9. 2023GAIA-1: A Generative World Model for Autonomous Drivingcited by 637
  10. 2020Lagrangian Neural Networkscited by 398
  11. 2018Visual Foresight: Model-Based Deep Reinforcement Learning for Vision-Based Robotic Controlcited by 230

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 1.

1 paper.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2026From Generative Engines to Actionable Simulators: The Imperative of Physical Grounding in World Models
  2. 2025A Comprehensive Survey on World Models for Embodied AI
  3. 2025World-in-World: World Models in a Closed-Loop World
  4. 2026WALL-SS: Scaling Long-horizon World Models via Next-Scale Autoregression
  5. 2026World Model for Robot Learning: A Comprehensive Survey
  6. 2026World Action Models: The Next Frontier in Embodied AI
  7. 2025Learning 3D Persistent Embodied World Models
  8. 2026LaWM: Least Action World Models for Long-Horizon Physical Consistency from Visual Observations