Robotics startup Figure is unveiling its plans to develop the first commercially successful general-purpose humanoid robot, Figure 01, designed to alleviate labor shortages and transform the future of work.
March 2023 is robotic a Figure company revealed ambitious plans to create Figures 01, a humanoid robot with artificial intelligence (AI) capable of independent thinking, learning and interaction. This groundbreaking robot aims to revolutionize the workforce by eliminating labor shortages and eliminating the need for dangerous and undesirable jobs in the long term. The company plans to develop a warehouse worker in the future, but of course other comparable professions will follow.
Figures 01 envisions its humanoid robot supporting workers in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and retail. Eventually, the company plans to expand the role of robots to serve as caregivers for the elderly and even help build architectural projects on other planets. Tesla, which is developing its humanoid robot with the primary purpose of replacing people in production, has a similar desire.
Brett Adcock, founder of Figure, emphasized that the company is in the early stages of developing the Figure 01 program, which will focus on addressing labor shortages in key industries such as manufacturing, warehousing, shipping and logistics, and retail. Adcock believes that Figure has the potential to become one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world. After all, this kind of workforce will be extremely desirable and profitable in the long term.
One of the significant challenges for the company is building an internal artificial intelligence system to support theirs humanoid robots, which enables them to perform everyday tasks independently. To achieve this, Figures develops intelligent embodied agents that can interact with complex and unstructured real-world environments.
While creating Figures 01 is still ongoing, the tech team at Figure still hopes that their robot will have human-like capabilities and provide support tailored to specific situations. Adcock argues that general-purpose humanoid robots designed for the human environment are the preferred route to achieve the most important overall effect.
Figure's team boasts a roster of robotics veterans from notable organizations such as IHMC, Boston Dynamics and Tesla. Jerry Pratt, chief technology officer at Figure, brings 20 years of experience from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), where he led a team that won second place at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals.
Warehouses are considered the most obvious entry point for Figures 01, as they offer a controlled environment with limited human interaction, making it easier for the humanoid robot to navigate and perform tasks. Thus, the first profession of a humanoid robot will be a warehouse worker. The company plans to build on the existing infrastructure of warehouse management software systems to manage high-level behaviors, gradually increasing the deployment of robots and improving the capabilities of the software over time.
The company's plan includes designing a fully electromechanical humanoid, quickly reducing unit costs with a high rate of mass production, ensuring safety in human-robot interaction, and building an AI system capable of autonomously performing daily tasks and being a full-fledged personal assistant.
