OpenAI-backed startup Figure teases new humanoid robot
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The race to get AI-powered humanoid robots into homes and workplaces around the world took a new turn today when Figure, a company backed by OpenAI to the tune of $675 million in its last round in February, announced today published a trailer video for its latest model: Figure 02, along with the date of August 6, 2024.
As you’ll see in the video, the video is low on detail but high on atmosphere and close-ups, showing renderings of what appear to be robotic joints and limbs, as well as some interesting, possibly flexible mesh designs for the robot body and labels . for torque values up to 150 Nm (Newton meter, or “the torque produced by a force of one newton applied perpendicular to the end of a one meter long lever arm” according to Google’s AI overview) and “ROM”, which I take a “range of motion” up to 195 degrees (out of a total of 360).
Founder Brett Adcock also posted on his personal X/Twitter account that Figure 02 was “the world’s most advanced humanoid robot.”
Backed by big names in technology and AI
Adcock, an entrepreneur who previously founded far-flung startup Archer Aviation and rental marketplace Vettery, founded Figure AI in 2022.
In March 2023, Figure emerged from stealth mode to introduce Figure 01, a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to address the global labor shortage by performing tasks in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and retail.
With a team of 40 industry experts, including Dr. Jerry Pratt as CTO, Figure AI completed the entire build of the humanoid in just six months. Adcock envisions the robots increasing productivity and safety by taking on unsafe and unwanted jobs, and ultimately contributing to a more automated and efficient future, while insisting they will never be used as a weapon.
The company, which in addition to OpenAI has NVidia, Microsoft, Intel Capital and Bezos Expeditions (the private fund of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos) among its investors and financiers, signed a deal with BMW Manufacturing earlier this year and showed off impressive integrations with OpenAI’s GPT-4V or vision model ahead of Figure’s 01 robot, ahead of the release of OpenAI’s new flagship GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini.
Presumably Figure 02 will have one of these newer OpenAI models controlling the movements and interaction, one of the leading names.
The competition to crack humanoid robotics is heating up
Things have been a bit quiet lately, even as other companies are debuting and showing off designs for AI-infused humanoid robots that they hope will help people in environments like warehouses, factories, industrial plants, fulfillment centers, retirement homes, retail stores , healthcare facilities, and of course private homes.
Although humanoid robots have long been a dream in science fiction stories, their debut as a commercial product has been slow and marred by expensive designs that are mainly confined to research environments. But that’s changing thanks to generative AI and, more specifically, large language models (LLMs) and multimodal AI models that can quickly analyze live video and audio input and respond with human audio and native movements.
Recently, billionaire multi-business owner Elon Musk, with his typical boisterous bravado and ambitious goals, stated: there was a market for more than 10 billion humanoid robots on Earth (more than one for each person) – which he hoped to command or at least take a piece of with his electric car and AI company Tesla Motors (which is creating its own rival humanoid robot ) called Tesla Optimus).
Moreover, Nvidia showed off new improvements for training the AI that guides humanoid robots through its Project GR00T efforts, using Apple Vision Pro headsets worn by human teleoperators to guide the robots through the appropriate movements:
And before that, early humanoid robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics previewed its own updated version of its Atlas humanoid robot, with electric motors replacing hydraulic actuators, presumably making for a cheaper, quieter, more reliable and sturdier bot.
Competition in the sector therefore appears to be becoming increasingly fierce. But with such big backers and forward momentum, Figure seems well prepared to continue its own efforts in this area.
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