AI humanoid robot 'figure 01' assists people at work as an all-around handy helper

AI humanoid robot ‘figure 01’ & its human abilities

In March 2023, robotics company Figure emerged and suddenly introduced its master plan to build Figure 01, an artificial intelligence humanoid robot that can think, learn, interact, and help people at work on its own. The self-moving and autonomous humanoid robot that is yet to be built is aimed to rely on the power of artificial intelligence to learn and predict its movement without anyone’s help. No controls needed – Figure 01 can work for and on itself.

Alongside its potential abilities to freely move, Figure says that its AI humanoid robot is designed for initial deployment into the workforce ‘to address labor shortages and over time lead the way in eliminating the need for unsafe and undesirable jobs. With the first humanoid by our side in the workforce, we’ll have the ability to create and produce so much more, address drastic labor shortages, and reduce the number of workers in unsafe jobs.’

images courtesy of Figure

By fusing the dexterity of the human form with the rapid development of AI, Figure imagines a future for its robot to lend support to other workers across manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and retail. Beyond that, the robotics company sees itself creating more humanoids that can also step in the shoes of a caregiver for the elderly and those at home as long as assisting the construction of architecture on other planets.

Figure founder Brett Adcock says that he and his team are currently in the early phases of building Figure, which looks into tackling the labor crisis occurring in essential industries like manufacturing, warehousing, shipping and logistics, and retail. ‘We are developing a humanoid robot that will be able to work alongside humans, filling undesirable, dangerous, and monotonous roles. I believe Figure has the potential to be one of the biggest, most impactful companies on the planet,’ says Adcock.

Figure 01 can possess human abilities and capacities

Building an in-house AI system

Adcock and his team summarize its plan to build feature-complete electromechanical humanoids that can perform human-like manipulation and then integrate them into the labor force. They acknowledge that building an in-house AI system that can support their humanoids to perform everyday tasks autonomously poses a challenge they face long-term. ‘We are tackling this by building intelligent embodied agents that can interact with complex and unstructured real-world environments,’ says Adcock.

Updates on the creation progress and process of the AI humanoid robot seem underway – given that Figure is relatively new with its 2022 founding – yet the tech team is hopeful that they can build Figure 01 which may possess human-like capabilities and provide varying types of support depending on a situation. ‘We believe general purpose humanoid robots built for a human environment is the desired route to have the largest overall impact,’ adds Adcock.

the humanoid robot relies on artificial intelligence to carry out its tasks