Figure AI has given us a look at its idea of the robotic equivalent of the Model T as it rolls out its Figure 3 humanoid robot – the company's third-generation bipedal autonomous machine designed for general purpose work that's built for mass production.
For aficionados of the history of technology, the Ford Model T is one of the great stand outs. It was so revolutionary that Aldous Huxley made it the object of veneration in his 1932 dystopian novel Brave New World. True, it wasn't by any means the first motor car, nor was it the first to be offered to the general public. However, it was the first aimed directly at the heart of the mass market and explicitly designed for mass production by assembly line.
In some rough ways the humanoid robot field is a bit like that of early automobiles. It's still the preserve of cutting-edge engineers and hobbyists, and one day soon we'll likely see upmarket luxury models sold alongside heavy industrial versions, but the real breakthrough will come when a practical humanoid robot shows up to take its place alongside the robotic vacuum and Furby.
That appears to be in the collective mind at Figure AI with Figure 03. According to the company, this latest of the humanoid line is designed to execute tasks normally performed by humans and acquire knowledge through direct learning and interaction. In addition, it's expected to do so not only in the home, but in warehouses, hotels, and other common settings.
Based on Figure 02, Figure 03 uses Figure's proprietary Helix vision-language-action artificial intelligence system to learn and carry out tasks alongside humans. Because this raises major safety issues, the new robot incorporates washable soft external materials and eliminates exposed machined parts as well as a 9% weight reduction and smaller volume compared to the Figure 02. Its wirelessly-charged internal battery meets UN38.3 standards.
Along with working in the domestic and commercial sectors, Figure 03 is also designed for mass production. Many of the parts are die-cast and injection molded rather than formed by CNC machining to save both cost and production time. Because of this, Figure estimates that the new bot will be built at a rate of 12,000 units a year, with a later production target of 100,000 units over four years through a new supply chain at the company's BotQ facility in San Jose, California.
Added to AI, Figure 03 has a number of other features. It has a new sensor suite with a 60% wider field of view per camera and hands that can sense a pressure of only a few grams. There are also cameras in each hand's palm to help with grasping tasks and the processor can handle large visual data flows in complex real-world surroundings. Meanwhile, a new auditory system provides better sound recognition and response.
For the fashion conscious, Figure 03 can even be provided with changes of clothing so that the livery meets the occasion. As for data, each robot has a wireless data feed when standing at its charging station.
This all sounds very impressive and the videos of Figure 03 in action certainly look like that future we were promised but never seemed to arrive. It moves with a slow grace in a wide variety of settings, and can effortlessly interact with humans and devices like washing machines made for human operators. These latter two are particularly important because the main advantages of a humanoid robot are its ability to work in human environments, work with human machines, and to work with humans smoothly, safely, and without setting off Terminator vibes.
That being said, such images still need to be taken with a grain of salt. We've seen many videos in recent years of robots doing spectacular things, but they can be deceptive when one learns that an impressive back flip is the extent of a robot's parkour routine. With Figure 03, we see images of a humanoid robot doing the dishes, serving drinks, or working at a hotel reception desk and our minds tend to fill in the gaps and assume the robot is acting like a human because it has full human capabilities and not something with its own special limitations, such as, theoretically, stopping dead if a glass isn't where it's supposed to be or handing a menu to thin air when a customer doesn't act as intended.
At any rate, if Figure 03 or some cybernetic soulmate does reach the market, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.
Source: Figure AI
