OpenAI-backed robotics startup Figure unveiled its second-generation bipedal humanoid robot, the Figure 02 (F.02), on Tuesday.
Designed for performing menial tasks on factory floors, the company has hinted at future possibilities like robo-butlers.
According to Figure co-founder Brett Adcock, the F.02 is a “ground-up redesign.” Built on an exoskeleton architecture with integrated wiring, it can generate 50 Nm of torque at its shoulders and 150 Nm at both the hip and knee.
Introducing Figure 02
The world's most advanced AI hardware
Exclusive pics + technical writeup👇 pic.twitter.com/2cts3pTIcN
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) August 6, 2024
The F.02 features six RGB cameras surrounding its head (two in the front, four in the back) for 360-degree views, a 2.25 KWh battery that runs 50% longer (up to 20 hours), fourth-generation hands with 16 degrees of freedom and human-equivalent strength, and three times the compute and inference power of its predecessor, enabling fully autonomous real-world AI tasks.
Equipped with a microphone and speakers for direct conversation, the F.02 uses custom-tuned AI models developed in collaboration with OpenAI, potentially featuring Advanced Voice Mode.
The F.02 also employs a vision language model, similar to recent advancements by Gemini researchers, to interpret visual inputs and make informed decisions.
Founded in 2022, Figure shares a goal with other robotics startups like Boston Dynamics, Tesla’s Optimus division, and Agility Robotics: to bring a commercially viable general-purpose humanoid robot to market.
Figure has begun testing its first-generation robots, the Figure 01, at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, production facility—the largest automotive exporter in the U.S. These robots currently move boxes of parts around the body shop and are expected to assist with sheet metal work and warehouse operations in the next two years. The F.02 robots have also joined them on the factory floor.
